Vacation students head back to university ready to apply newly discovered skills
Glencore has a well-established network of pathway programs designed to provide school leavers, university students and graduates the opportunity to join the resources industry.
Our Vacation Employment Program is aimed at enriching learning experiences and growing talent of university students. It includes a 12-week paid placement in a student’s relevant discipline, providing hands on experience and skills within the mining and resources industry.
Shirl Brown, Principal Development Advisor said the Queensland Metals Vacation Employment Program gives university students the opportunity to implement their theoretical knowledge in a practical environment.
“The practical experience provides students with a greater understanding of the resources industry and exposure to real scenarios to broaden their knowledge,” says Shirl.
A typical day for Jenna Attard, Metallurgical Vacation Student, would include anode counting, anode inspections and making process changes as well as working on her anode slimes moisture and alarms management project.
Jenna Attard, Metallurgical Vacation Student at Townsville’s Copper Refinery comes from Home Hill in the Burdekin and is in her final year studying a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours) at James Cook University in Townsville.
Having previously completed vacation work at Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines in 2021/2022, Jenna was already aware of the benefits and opportunities associated with the program, and returned to the Townsville Copper Refinery for the 2022/2023 program intake.
As someone who has always been interested in chemistry and how things work, Jenna said it was fascinating to see all the processes that function together to take raw material, such as copper ore, and turn it into something so pure as 99.995% pure copper cathode.
“The Vacation Employment Program has given me the most rewarding experience. Not only was I granted the responsibility of working on two different projects, I was also involved in the tasks that metallurgists complete as part of their day-to-day role.”
“Participating in, and contributing to meetings has increased my confidence. I’ve learnt so much about what goes on behind the scenes which has greatly assisted in my technical development,” says Jenna.
“Being able to take on projects, see them progress and grow, collect data and present my findings has been an exciting opportunity that I’ll never forget. I’m extremely grateful for all the support I’ve had along the way and could not have asked for a better team to work with.”
Jack Muller, Geology Vacation Student, Mount Isa Mines.
Jack Muller is studying a Bachelor of Geology at James Cook University and carried out his vacation placement with the Australian Exploration team based in Mount Isa.
Jack said working within the exploration team has given him the opportunity to grow his professional skill set and expand on previous experiences within the Glencore operations.
“The vacation program is a great initiative with a streamlined structure that has allowed me to develop key relationships and gain exposure outside that of an academic institute,” says Jack.
At the Townsville Copper Refinery, 99.995% pure copper cathodes are processed, bundled and ready to be loaded onto trucks.
The 2023/2024 Vacation Employment Program will run from 28 November 2023 to 17 February 2024. Applications for this intake open on 12 April and will be accepted until 21 May 2023 across the following disciplines:
- Geology, Geophysics
- Environmental Science
- Surveying
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Human Resources
- Information Technology and Business Systems
- Accounting/Finance
- Communications/Community Relations.