From first look to future career

Thirty young people recently stepped inside the world of mining at Thiess’ Mackay Training Hub, gaining hands-on experience and a closer look at where a career in the industry could take them.

For young people considering what comes after school, understanding the opportunities available – and how to access them – can make a real difference. Thiess’ Mining Industry Experience Day is designed to make those pathways more visible, connecting students with our people, workplaces and opportunities in a practical way.

This year (2026), students joined us from the Clontarf Foundation and Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School. Both organisations work to support young people in education and their transition into employment, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and students who have disengaged from mainstream schooling.

Throughout the day, students explored careers across autonomy, surveying, drill and blast, coal handling and preparation plant, maintenance and production. Thiess team members and site-based subject matter experts brought those careers to life, sharing their experiences and showing students the skills and technology behind modern mining operations.

The experience also connected what students saw on the day with tangible pathways into the industry, including apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities through Thiess’ Future Talent programs.

For some students, the journey continues on site.

The Clontarf Camp at our Lake Vermont project provides another opportunity to experience mining first-hand, showing students how the skills and technologies introduced at the Training Hub are applied in an operating environment. Selected Year 9 and 10 students can return for further immersive site-based experiences in Years 11 and 12.

By building familiarity with the industry over time – from early exposure and hands-on experiences to site visits and employment pathways – the program aims to help young people make informed choices about their future and see a career in mining as something within reach.

Thank you to our teams at Lake Vermont, QCoal Northern Hub and Thiess Head Office, and to Glenn Cox, Tyson Halliwell, Brent Harper, Peter Aitken, Stephen Wilks and Will Tolley for supporting the program.