Industry Growth Centre project funding helps create career pathway program
A new career pathway program, established by Austmine and supported by METS Ignited and the Australian
Government, is improving gender diversity within the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS)
sector by driving female STEM talent to local businesses.
The need for greater innovation in the METS sector and pending STEM skills shortage is creating the urgency
for strong links to be forged between female students and METS career opportunities. This has been the key
driver for Austmine, the peak industry body for the METS sector, to develop a program which raises
awareness of the METS sector and connects students to industry.
METS Ignited, the Industry Growth Centre established by the Australian Government, is investing $15.6m
over four years (2015-19) to support projects which contribute to the growth of the METS sector through
creating a skilled workforce, increasing export opportunities and helping to commercialise innovation in
product or service development.
In the last 12 months this funding has seen the creation of the Austmine Women in STEM: METS Career
Pathway Program – which is providing a direct link for female STEM students to gain work experience within
the METS sector, and provides valuable professional development advice.
METS Ignited CEO, Ric Gros, says this program is essential to grow awareness of the vast opportunities within
the METS sector and continue to develop a diverse and skilled workforce for the future.
“The METS sector is made up of more than 2,500 companies employing close to 500,000 people–almost
double the amount of people employed by mining companies. There are significant career opportunities for
men and women in the METS sector, but right now our next generation of employees don’t know about
them.”
“There is a general misunderstanding of the METS sector as ‘old-world’ and affected by a mining downturn,
when in reality it is technology driven, entrepreneurial and contributes $86 billion in GVA to the Australian
economy,” says Mr Gros.
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