Mining might not be the first industry to spring to mind when you think of inclusive, female-friendly work environments, but Newcrest Mining is committed to achieving this. They are on a journey where inclusion and psychological safety are central to the culture they are building. They provide a multitude of development opportunities and experiences, including an excellent graduate development program that provides a supportive pathway to start your career. We spoke to two graduates who’ve been with Newcrest for a few years now, about their experiences so far and why Newcrest was such an enticing career choice.
Your experience as a graduate
Rebecca Allan is an Exploration Geologist. She’s been with Newcrest for two years, having joined as a graduate in January 2020. Her experience has been nothing but positive.
“My time with Newcrest as a graduate has been extremely rewarding. I feel it has prepared me to move into the workforce with the confidence, knowledge, and skills I need to make a positive impact for Newcrest.”
Rebecca has been given opportunities to learn about different exploration methods and programs, as well as the chance to attend conferences and professional development events to focus on her technical abilities.
“I have had healthy challenges and been supported through them to come out the other side more confident than before. They say the best geologist is the one that sees the most rocks. On the graduate program, you get to move to different projects and gain exposure to diverse deposit styles and geology, which is an amazing learning opportunity.”
Maggie Sikora also joined Newcrest as a Graduate Data Scientist and has been with them for three and a half years now.
“Newcrest’s graduate program was a fantastic experience as it gave me exposure to different business aspects and challenges. I had the pleasure of working with many different teams, thanks to which I got a complete overview of the mining value chain and understood the layout of the mines and the processing plants much better. This knowledge has been extremely beneficial during my data science projects.”
Maggie enjoys that in Data Science, she was able to have a remarkable impact on the business early on. Her colleagues and leaders have been supportive and open to new ideas, an environment which gave her confidence and enhanced her creativity, communication and design thinking skills.
The biggest surprise about Newcrest and Mining
Knowing that people often have a preconceived idea of what mining will be like, we asked both women what their biggest surprise has been. Rebecca shared;
“The biggest surprise for me was just how much they don’t teach you at university. You learn your specific technical skills, but when you start working you learn about different aspects of the mining process and how your role fits in. You also learn people and time management skills as well as working to a budget and other constraints all while trying to do your job safely.”
“I was both surprised and impressed by the safety culture at Newcrest. I see safety considered in every aspect of what we do.”
Maggie shared;
“I come from Poland, where mines are very close to the cities, so I was intrigued by the remote mining operations. I was impressed that even though the operation is in the middle of a desert, it is well organized with accommodation, a swimming pool, a gym and other facilities.”
“I was also highly impressed by the diversity in the company. I believe that a variety of mindsets and views combined with the company’s core values (caring about people, innovation and problem solving, integrity and honesty, high performance and working together) are the perfect recipe for success.”
Rebecca’s experience of Newcrest’s commitment to diversity is similar. In a previous company she was one of few women, and the youngest, so was sometimes isolated. Her team at Newcrest is dynamic and talented with a range of ages, gender, and backgrounds.
Newcrest is committed to inclusion, psychological safety and creating opportunities for all team members to grow their careers, with strong leave and flexible work options, as well as conducting regular pay equity reviews.
Check out more of their inclusion and diversity efforts here.
Continuous development opportunities
Both women talked about the development opportunities they have had and continue to look forward to.
Rebecca is excited to see the Havieron deposit grow, and what they might find in exploratory drilling around the area. As a global company, Rebecca is also excited about the opportunity to travel in the future.
“The Newcrest Exploration Team is highly skilled, dynamic, adaptable, and supportive. It has been highly motivating for me to excel in my career and become a valued member of the team. The people within Newcrest have a variety of different experiences and knowledge that I can learn from and apply to my own work.”
For Maggie, the exciting projects she was able to work on even as a Graduate really showed her Newcrest was the right place for her career development. She won the I LOVE IT award in the category, We Seek High Performance in Ourselves and Others, which she is very proud of.
“I am very excited about my future at Newcrest. I am enthusiastically looking forward to my new challenges and ways to enhance our business and support our global organic growth portfolio. Moreover, I aspire to develop my leadership skills to share my knowledge and experience with our new Graduates and vacation students.”
Thoughts for potential Graduates
Rebecca joined Newcrest from a smaller company due to their focus on safety and development. She wanted to join a company that really values its people.
“Newcrest is an exciting company to work for as a Graduate. You have opportunities to work across the country in different projects and have exposure to many professional development opportunities. You will work with a fast paced, dynamic team that is extremely passionate about what they do. You will be made to feel like you are part of the team from day one.”
Maggie is similarly positive about Newcrest and mining as an industry.
“Without hesitation, I would recommend joining Newcrest. The two-year graduate program is an incredible opportunity to start a fantastic career in mining. Getting exposure to many aspects of the business, visiting the sites, and working closely with experts, business owners, and vendors enhances the academic knowledge gained during study.”
If you’re ready to excel…
Newcrest’s graduate program for the 2023 intake is now open. Applications will close on Sunday 3 April 2022, so there’s time for you to really finesse your CV. You will find the link under their current opportunities listed here.
For more information you can visit Newcrest Graduate and Vacation Programs information page.
