Engineers of the future get hands-on experience in our operations

In February, Glencore Queensland Metals farewelled university students from across the Townsville and Mount Isa operations after completing 12 weeks work experience on our 2023/2024 Vacation Employment Program.

The program presents valuable opportunities for students to use theoretical knowledge in a real, working mine environment, while providing a stepping-stone to their graduate career.

Our Townsville Copper Refinery and Port Operations welcomed two up-and-coming undergraduate engineers to site for their vacation placements - Ethan Draper, Mechanical Engineering and Thomas Taylor, Electrical Engineering.

Ethan lives locally in Townsville and is a fourth-year student at James Cook University studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) – Bachelor of Science, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Molecular Cell Biology.

Ethan said the program has provided key insights into the smelting and refining industry, and he has enjoyed working in many different areas of the business.

“Working at the refinery has assisted in developing my technical skills immensely. It has put my three years of engineering theory into practice. I’ve been given the opportunity to construct solutions and innovative design concepts that can be implemented on-site.”

“No day is the same at the refinery, whether it's supervising contractor works, liaising with experts in the design field, or sampling tank foundations for contamination. This experience has been nothing short of amazing.”

“The mentorship during the vacation program has been outstanding. The engineering faculty at the refinery were extremely supportive and helpful in developing my technical skills, ensuring I got the most out of my experience,” says Ethan.

While most of Ethan’s time was spent with the Engineering Department, he was fortunate to gain exposure to a variety of areas including Production, Circulation, Plate Manufacture, Maintenance and Glencore’s Townsville Port Operations.

Fellow vacation student Thomas Taylor, returned to his hometown of Townsville in November to take up his vacation placement at the refinery. Thomas will soon be heading into his second year at the University of Queensland where he is studying a Bachelor of Engineering – Electrical.

He said he has really enjoyed his time at the Townsville operation, and feels it has significantly contributed to his growth as an engineer.

“One of my favorite projects was looking into a fault that kept causing the two anode casting cooling pond irrigation pumps to trip. First, we needed to go to the site to gain an understanding of the setup, then I had to inspect the drawing of the control circuit for the pumps to try and find why they were tripping. From this, I was able to learn about the benefits and problems behind different types of control systems and gain an understanding as to why a hysteresis - where the pumps needed to be turned off at a lower temperature than what they were turned on at - was necessary.”

“I have learned more than I could have ever imagined in this workplace, and I am excited about how I can use this knowledge in the future,” says Thomas.

Paul Taylor, Manager Refinery and Port Operations said showcasing our operations through our Pathway Programs and the variety of work available at our sites is a step towards attracting and retaining up-and-coming industry professionals.

“We hope to encourage young engineering professionals to aspire to become part of the Glencore family, and forge a career in the industry”, says Paul.

Applications for Glencore’s 2024/2025 Vacation Program will be accepted from 15 April to 19 May 2024.