Science savvy women can help drive the resources industry to new heights with the support of a targeted program aimed at boosting female participation on boards.
The second round of the Women on Boards Scholarship program aims to increase the number of women with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) knowledge who are sitting on mining and resources boards.
The program is part of the Prospects Partnership between the Victorian Government and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the peak body representing resources sector professionals.
The Prospects Partnership focuses on retaining women with science and technical backgrounds in the resources sector. The initiative is part of State of Discovery, Victoria's Minerals Resources Strategy, released in 2018.
With a boom in minerals exploration, record high-grade gold production at Victoria's largest mine at Fosterville and the orderly restart of onshore conventional gas from July 2021, the leadership opportunities for women across the resources sector are even more promising.
Mineral exploration expenditure in Victoria for the June quarter 2020 was $39.7 million, surpassing the previous quarter as the new highest quarterly mineral exploration expenditure figure ever recorded in Victoria by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Since March 2016, the average quarterly mineral exploration expenditure growth in Victoria has been 13 per cent—over three times the average quarterly growth of the nation.
The Minerals Council of Australia estimates that over 120,000 people work across the broader industry in Victoria, within large and small organisations across the mining equipment, technology and services supply chain.
Research shows diverse boards result in better industry outcomes and greater sector innovation. While the number of women on boards within the resources sector is increasing, women with technical industry skills remain underrepresented.
