Resources’ women’s mentoring program wraps up stellar year

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Queensland’s resources sector is taking practical steps to create a more diverse workplace, following another successful year of a program connecting female employees with male and female mentors in the resources sector.

This year, a record 75 female resources sector employees from across the state participated in the nineth Queensland Resources Council (QRC)/Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) Mentoring Program.

WIMARQ is a reference group to the QRC, which works to influence improvements in gender diversity and inclusion outcomes and fosters relationships and networks based on trust.

QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources sector was taking a leadership role in ensuring a diverse workplace.

“Our industry’s success is built on the diverse skills of Queenslanders right across the state. We want to ensure there are opportunities to participate equally for all Queenslanders in our sector which provides such important economic opportunities in our regions, and in the South-East,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“This six-month mentoring program gave mentees the chance to meet regularly with a mentor to help their career development.”

QRC Policy Director for Skills, Education and Diversity Katrina-Lee Jones said the resources sector regularly reviewed its performance and set new diversity goals.

“About 20 per cent of the resources sector workforce is female, which was the result of deliberate goals and actions from across the sector over the last 15 years,” Ms Jones said.

“We are striving to do even better, which a goal of 30 per cent of the workforce being female employees by 2026.”

WIMARQ Co-Chair Sally Rayner said the WIMARQ mentoring program had proven its value in creating a more diverse workplace.

“The mentoring program was first created in response to an identified demand for formal mentoring for women working in Queensland’s minerals and energy sectors, and as a way to improve retention and progression of women in these sectors,” Ms Rayner said.

“The program has been extremely successful. At the end of 2020, almost 350 women had graduated from the program, with 90 percent of those surveyed saying it has had a positive impact on their career.

“After our record year in 2021, we hope to see even more mentees participate in the program next year.”

The aim of the QRC/WIMARQ Mentoring Program is to provide a structured, sustainable mentoring process that supports mentees through career guidance and direction by sharing mentor/mentee experiences, developing goals and forging exceptional mentoring relationships beyond the program’s duration.

The 2021 QRC/WIMARQ Mentoring Program is sponsored by Thiess, Hatch, Glencore Coal, Alchemy Recruitment and Consulting and Idemitsu. The program is delivered by Dr Ali Burston from Metisphere.

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