News

Supporting the next generation of female engineers

Fifteen female engineering students experienced first-hand the many opportunities a career in mining provides with a three day tour of the Pilbara as special guests of Roy Hill as part the Girls Engineering Tomorrow (GET) program run through Curtin University.

All of them embraced the opportunity to be on site and engage with Roy Hill personnel to better understand the many disciplines, engineering included, needed to keep our operations running.

Roy Hill supports a number of initiatives that encourages the uptake of STEM subjects for students, including the highly acclaimed ROC Ed program that is run by Roy Hill for secondary school aged children at the company’s Remote Operations Centre in Perth.

Curtin’s Girls in STEM program is focussed on women and changing the current gender imbalance in engineering enrolments across the country with women making up less than 15 per cent despite engineering being one of the fastest-growing occupations in Australia.

Girls Engineering Tomorrow - 2021 Pilbara Tour - Roy Hill
Curtin University’s Girls Engineering Tomorrow program participants take part in the 2021 Pilbara tour.

The three day tour commenced with a charter flight to Roy Hill’s Ginbata airport. The group visited the Mine Services Administration and mobile maintenance workshops, speaking to senior members of the team, before proceeding to the processing plant which included the advanced robotics lab.

Roy Hill’s innovative autonomous haulage project was the last stop on the mine tour. In partnership with Epiroc and ASI Mining, Roy Hill is converting its mixed fleet of 77 CAT and Hitachi haul trucks to autonomous use. This non-OEM solution is breaking new ground in the industry and will see more automation focussed engineering roles required into the future – a message that wasn’t lost on the group!

The tour was strongly supported by senior leaders including Chief Operating Officer, Anthony Kirke, General Manager Innovation and Technology, Chris Eriksen, General Manager Mining, Ian Wallace, and General Manager Processing, Peter Harrington, who all took time to have one-on-one conversations with the girls and answer their questions.

Girls Engineering Tomorrow - 2021 Pilbara Tour - Roy Hill
Girls Engineering Tomorrow program participants at Roy Hill’s Pilbara iron ore processing plant.

Day two and three saw the group travel to fellow tour partner Pilbara Minerals’ lithium facility at Pilgangoora, followed by a port tour hosted by the Seafarers Centre in Port Hedland.

Roy Hill personnel also attended the GET program graduation and wishes all of the participants well as they finalise their studies and prepare to commence an exciting career.

14.10.2021