Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines has awarded its inaugural Tim Underhill Diversity Scholarship in Mine Surveying, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Mine Surveyors (AIMS).
Second-year University of Newcastle Honours student Katherine Lindsay, 19, was officially recognised as the first recipient for the new scholarship at the AIMS national conference in the Hunter Valley on Thursday 14 September.
The three-year scholarship supports female students to commence or continue their studies in mine surveying.
In addition to financial support, the scholarship guarantees Ms Lindsay a place in Mount Isa Mines’ annual Vacation Program, where she will receive valuable professional development and mentorship from experienced mine surveyors.
Named after the late Tim Underhill, a Senior Mine Surveyor at Mount Isa Mines and a respected AIMS Fellow who passed away in 2014, the scholarship program aims to increase opportunities for women in this specialist technical mining discipline, something Mr Underhill was passionate about.
Executive General Manager for Glencore’s North Queensland Zinc Assets Denis Hamel said the scholarship introduces a new way for the business to support talented women as they forge careers in the sector.
“Glencore is committed to building employment pathways into the mining workforce, particularly groups traditionally underrepresented in the industry,” Mr Hamel said.
“We know increased diversity in the industry exposes our people to a broader range of ideas and new ways of overcoming operating challenges, which leads to more innovation and better operational outcomes.”
Ms Lindsay, a high achiever from Orange in country New South Wales, said she was grateful to be recognised for her academic commitments and career aspirations.
“The scholarship will provide invaluable support for me to complete my degree and achieve my longterm goal of becoming a registered mine surveyor,” Ms Lindsay said.
“I'm also really excited about the unique work experience opportunities I’ll have access to at Glencore’s operations, which will give me important insights into the many different aspects of mine surveying."
AIMS Director Julia Reynolds said AIMS is committed to promoting gender diversity in mining surveying and related fields.
“We will continue to work with universities, companies and other agencies to encourage female participation in studying and developing a career in mine surveying,” Ms Reynolds said. "AIMS has adopted a collaborative approach and an integrated strategy offering a mechanism to attract, recruit, retain and develop women at all levels of the organisation within this sector.
“On behalf of AIMS I wish Ms Lindsay all the best with her studies, and I look forward to her one day joining AIMS as a fully-fledged member with a mining endorsement.”
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Back row (L to R): Chris Moy, AIMS Director, Nick Baillieu, AIMS Secretary, Chris Nixon, AIMS Treasurer, Shane Watson, AIMS Vice President, Callum McNaughton, AIMS Director, Chris McCleave, General Manager Zinc Mining, Mount Isa Mines, Dan Cherry, AIMS Director. |
Media Release dated 20 September 2017
