Glencore’s Vacation Program gives Uni students a taste of mining life
At the end of each year, we welcome university students from across Australia who have been successful in securing a position on Glencore’s Vacation Program.
The program offers students a chance to experience what it’s like to work and live in a mining community. Most mining sites are remote, but it’s here where those who’ve come to test their skills for future career opportunities get to see the close knit, vibrant communities that exist beyond the city lights. Some have been here before, but many will experience it for the very first time.
In 2025/26, 33 vacation students joined our Mount Isa and Townsville sites to work in the wide range of roles offered across our operations like engineering, accounting, health and safety, environment, geoscience and more.
The experience for each student is individual, but the consensus is – go for it! Come with an open mind and willingness to learn, it’s an opportunity you won’t regret.
Kyle Reddicliffe, who is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Mechanical Engineering at James Cook University, joined the Vacation Program for a second time in 2025. He spent his first year at the Copper Smelter in Mount Isa, then returned for his second year to our Townsville Copper Refineries and Port Operations.
Kyle Reddicliffe, Mechanical Engineering Vacation Student at Glencore’s Port Operations in Townsville.
Kyle said it was a great learning experience to be able to rotate through different Glencore sites to see how copper anodes are produced in the smelter and then at the next stage of the process at the refinery.
“During my first vacation placement at Mount Isa Mines, I was exposed to a wide variety of projects and gained a better understanding of how one of Australia’s largest mining operations is run. This year, through my placement at the refinery and port, I’ve continued to build my understanding of the mining process,” Kyle shares.
“It’s been rewarding to see the work I’m doing has real meaning and impact.”
“At university the assignments and reports are great for learning, but you don’t always feel the real-world significance. On site, you are working on real problems that affect operations, and being trusted to contribute to solutions has been a surreal and rewarding experience,” says Kyle.
In 2024, Chelsea Stephens, a local Year 12 Spinifex State College, Mount Isa student, won a Glencore Scholarship which included a placement on the Vacation Program during her university studies.
Chelsea Stephens, Vacation Student Occupational Hygiene.
Chelsea is completing a degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and spent time with our Occupational Hygiene team onsite at Mount Isa Mines.
Chelsea said the experience was instrumental in her development as she was tasked with a variety of jobs in a new field which encouraged problem solving, learning new skills and developing confidence working in unfamiliar settings.
“It was rewarding to build new connections with my coworkers and the other vacation students. It can be intimidating working in an unfamiliar area, but the Vacation Program allows great opportunities for development and the chance to make lots of new friends,” Chelsea says.
“The Vacation Program presents the opportunity for hands-on, practical work in an underground mine. One of the highlights for me was participating in the structural inspection of the steelwork of the main shaft at George Fisher Mine. It involved checking key components for corrosion and damage while working on the cage more than one kilometre under the surface.”
Ted Deeb - Vacation Student, Engineering and Asset Strategy Department, George Fisher Mine completing a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Commerce at University of Queensland.
Shari Barwick, Manager Human Resources, said the Vacation Program attracts standout students studying mining-related degrees and in the 2025/26 intake, thirteen participants were awarded Glencore Technical Development Scholarships to support their studies.
“Our Vacation Program serves as a talent pipeline, supporting recruitment into the mining and resources industry. Students who complete the program are well placed for consideration in our Graduate Program upon finishing their studies.”
As the three-month program comes to an end, students present the outcomes of projects they have been working on to department leads and colleagues.
“It also provides an opportunity to showcase the employment and lifestyle benefits of living and working in Mount Isa and Townsville,” says Shari.
Our North Queensland communities offer exciting lifestyle experiences.
Nestled within the rugged mountain terrain of the Selwyn Ranges (also known as the Isa Highlands), Mount Isa is the gateway to unique outback experiences. Soak up beautiful sunrises and sunsets while camping or fishing, explore the region on a four-wheel drive adventure or join friends for a picnic or water-skiing at nearby Lake Moondarra.
Enjoy a picnic, water sports and the serene surrounds of Lake Moondarra, 18 minutes from Mount Isa.
In contrast, the coastal city of Townsville is the largest regional centre in Northern Australia situated on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. It offers a vibrant urban social scene, is a well-known hub for sports and events and is home to NRL’s North Queensland Cowboys and WNBL’s Townsville Fire.
We encourage university students to come and experience it for themselves, learn about our industry and discover what it’s like to live in a mining community.