Mikayla’s pathway into resources

Glencore’s many pathway programs are structured to introduce you to real-world work scenarios in a wide range of career opportunities offered in the resources industry.

Mikayla McKenna is a Graduate Metallurgist based at the Copper Refineries Limited (CRL) in Townsville who has successfully made her way into resources through our pathway programs.

After completing high school in Brisbane, Mikayla embarked on a twelve-month student exchange program in Ecuador.

She commenced her Process Engineering studies the following year at the Queensland University of Technology but soon found herself travelling internationally again as part of her bachelor’s degree. This time, it took her to the United States for a year where she completed two semesters of her studies at the University of Wyoming.

Mikayla’s venture into the mining industry began in 2018 when she was offered a position on Glencore’s Vacation Student Program. This provided her with her first relevant work experience in her chosen field.

A few years later, Mikayla’s calling to a career in metallurgy led her to successfully apply for a place on Glencore’s Graduate Program, and in February 2022, she commenced her role as a Graduate Metallurgist based at CRL.

Mikayla said, despite many years gaining valuable work experience in the hospitality industry while studying and travelling abroad, not one of those roles could have prepared her for her current role as a metallurgist.

“My role here is unique, there are only two copper refineries in Australia and only a handful of people do what I do on a daily basis,” says Mikayla.

“The position presents daily challenges that require innovative problem-solving skills to overcome unforeseen obstacles. It can be challenging finding the right balance when managing electrolyte in the tankhouse. Things can unexpectedly change very quickly, and I always need to be ready for that.”

“I get a lot of satisfaction out of having the ability to enhance processes and procedures within the plant,” says Mikayla.

A typical day for Mikayla starts in meetings with the metallurgy and circulation teams. She then heads out into the plant where she performs quality inspections on anodes and cathodes, implements process changes to ensure that the electrolyte meets prescribed specifications in the Tankhouse, and observes trends from instrumentation and laboratory assays.

Being offered a sought-after graduate position and the prospect of living in and exploring another part of the country, Mikayla jumped at the opportunity to bring her young family north. Her partner Jarod and their three-year-old son Wolfie made the move to Townsville with her to support her in her chosen career.

During the weekends they enjoy exploring the many attractions of North Queensland, discovering new parks, beaches, and nearby towns such as Airlie or Bowen. A new addition to the family, their miniature dachshund Roscoe, also loves the opportunity to tag along on their sightseeing expeditions.

Paul Taylor, Manager Glencore Copper Refinery and Port Operations, said with the current shortage of engineers across the industry, our pathway programs are a vital avenue for attracting up and coming engineers to our business.

“Our operation offers vacation students and graduates the opportunity to work alongside experienced metallurgists and learn about our electrolytic copper refinery process which uses Glencore’s world-class ISAKIDD^TM Technology,” says Paul.