Glencore recognises local talent through scholarship support

Media release

Glencore has awarded six scholarships to local students in North West Queensland to help develop their talents through tertiary education and benefit our regional community.

The scholarships include the Glencore Student Excellence and Vic Stampton Technical Growth scholarships. They both guarantee winners a position in Queensland Metals’ Vacation Work Program starting the following year, and $5,000 and $4,000 respectively to assist with first year university expenses.

Glencore Student Excellence Scholarships

Offered for the fourth year in a row, the Glencore Student Excellence Scholarship has been awarded to four Mount Isa secondary school students commencing a full time degree in 2022.

Applications for any university disciplines are encouraged, with at least two of the scholarships awarded to students undertaking a mining related degree.

Zinc Assets Australia Chief Operating Officer Matt O’Neill says the scholarships are awarded to students passionate about studying a discipline that will support and enrich the local communities where we operate.

“It’s important to develop our local talent and we know the worthy recipients will be excellent ambassadors not only for Glencore, but also for the wider North West Queensland region,” Matt says. 

This year, four Spinifex State Senior College students will receive the Glencore Student Excellence Scholarships.

Mitchell Thinee plans to study a double degree in Bachelor of Mathematics and Bachelor of Engineering, Samuel McMillian a Bachelor of Engineering, Brooke Troxell a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, and Thomas Smith a double degree in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. 

“We are pleased the winners have also been involved in some of our other pathway and development programs throughout 2021, including Girls for Mining, Work Experience and the QMEA Trades Camp, and we are excited to see them succeed in their future endeavours,” Matt says.

Vic Stampton Technical Growth Scholarships

The Vic Stampton Technical Growth Scholarship, named in honour of Mount Isa Mines’ former Supervisor of Mining research, is awarded to two current employees engaged in one of our many pathway programs and wishing to continue their technical development through a mining-related university degree in 2022. 

Matt O’Neill says this year’s deserving recipients of the Vic Stampton scholarship are Tyson Hales and Jose Pena, both Mount Isa locals completing an internship throughout 2021 with the Mount Isa Mines Technical Services team.

Commencing a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) at University of Queensland next year, Tyson says he is looking forward to expanding on the knowledge he has gained during his internship with the Technical Services team.

“I have always loved maths and science, so I thought engineering was a suitable career. But my interest in mining has grown significantly from my experience working with the mining engineers this year at Glencore’s Queensland Metals business,” Tyson says.

“The internship program was an excellent way to get that initial exposure to the day-to-day life of an engineer and decide whether the resources industry is right for me, and I think it is.”

“The support from the scholarship is going to help a lot with the expenses associated with moving out of home.”

“I’m going to miss my friends, family and the lifestyle of Mount Isa, but I am very excited at the upcoming adventure ahead of me,” Tyson says. 

Matt O’Neill says these scholarships are something that Glencore is committed to offering every year to assist our local talent in pursuing the first step in their careers.

“We wish all the scholarship winners the very best in their studies and we are looking forward to welcoming them back at the end of 2022 to participate in our Queensland Metals Vacation Student Program.”

For further information, please contact:

Nadine Roberts
m: +61 436 341 650
e: Nadine Roberts

Jemma Schweikert
m: +61 412 126 510
e: Jemma Schweikert

Notes for editors

About Glencore

Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 responsible-sourced commodities that advance everyday life. The Group's operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets.

With a strong footprint in over 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore's industrial and marketing activities are supported by a global network of more than 30 marketing offices. Glencore's customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation and oil sectors. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore's companies employ around 135,000 people, including contractors.

Glencore is proud to be a member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the International Council on Mining and Metals. We are an active participant in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Our ambition is to be a net zero total emissions company by 2050.

For more information, visit Glencore's website. 

About Glencore Australia

In Australia, Glencore produces coal, copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, lead, silver and gold from 26 mining operations. We also operate metals processing assets in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, including metals smelters, concentrators and refineries.

We are among Australia’s largest producers and marketers of natural resources, connecting Australian resources with industrial customers around the world. Through our diverse portfolio, we responsibly supply the resources that advance everyday life.

We employ 17,690 people in Australia and in 2020 contributed over $13.8 billion to the regional, state and national economies. This included spend of $9.5 billion with 7,890 businesses across the country, as well as $2.1 billion in government tax and royalty payments.

We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace for our people, to respecting the environment, to engaging openly and constructively with the Traditional Owners on whose lands we operate and to bringing value to local communities.

Glencore recognises our responsibility to contribute to the global effort to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Our ambition is to be a net zero total emissions company by 2050. In August 2021 we increased our medium-term emission reduction target to a 50% reduction by 2035 and introduced a new short-term target of a 15% reduction by 2026.