Metallurgy / Chemical / Process Engineering
Kelly
Role: Metallurgist
Company: Townsville Water (previously Xstrata at time of interview)
What do you like about minerals processing?
Minerals processing is chemistry based and that's what I like about it, but it's not extremely in-depth. There are an awful lot of other issues that you've got to consider when you're doing the job. At university I was tending towards chemical engineering but I found it was a lot more theory based and didn't really incorporate all the other aspects that I thought would be important in a degree to prepare me for a job. I found out when I was on vacation work, that there's much more to this job than just theory.
What should Year 10 students do to enable them get to where you are today?
I would advise anyone interested in science, and particularly in maths, to look at engineering as an option for your future career. I think that the minerals and energy industry has a lot of opportunities.You don't just have to be a minerals process engineer, electrical and mechanical engineers all have a place in the industry. I'd advise you to go to a university, talk to students or lecturers, go to open days, attend vacation school, and get work experience. Try to get as much exposure to the industry as you can before you enrol in the engineering degree, and especially before you graduate, because that is the true test of whether you really like what you're doing.
What do you see as the key skills & personal qualities that young people need to be successful in the Minerals Industry?
The first thing that I think is important is listening and communication skills. It is not really emphasised very much at uni. In most of the things we do, we have to listen to someone giving us information, process it and then give information back. So it is very important to develop those skills. The second characteristic that would be good to have is flexibility. For example, I was working five days a week and now I'm working shift work, so I have to be flexible enough to accommodate that. Before I was doing project work and now I'm actually on a crew doing production work.
The third thing is you really have to be enthusiastic to learn new things because you're constantly learning. You may know a lot from being at uni and you understand the theory of how things work but it is another thing when actually looking at something working and processing and understanding why. You learn a lot just from being at a plant. So you have to be open to learning new ideas.
How relevant do you see the Minerals Industry to young people, and/or everyday life?
It plays a big role to our community. Everywhere I look, I see something that exists because of the minerals industry producing it. It's a very interesting industry and just to be part of the bigger picture is very satisfying.
