Building skills for their future workforce, with Rio Tinto

OBJECTIVES

Rio Tinto partnered with The Careers Department to build their early careers pipeline by introducing high school students to the breadth of professional roles available in mining at the exact moment career decisions are being made.

The goal: a key priority was dismantling the narrow perception of what a mining career looks like.

PARTNERSHIP INCLUSIONS

The Careers Department built ten gamified Virtual Work Experience modules; each placing students inside a distinct professional role at Rio Tinto.

Modules include Autonomous Vehicle Operator, Mechanical Engineer, Process Operator, Diesel Mechanic, and Environmental Reconstruction Advisor.

In the Autonomous Vehicle Operator module, students are placed inside a gamified version of Rio Tinto's operations centre in Perth. Calls come in from site with questions about the ATMs in the field, and students must listen carefully and respond with the correct information by matching what they're hearing to the live data displayed on their screen; testing communication, attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure.

In the Environmental Reconstruction Advisor module, students are working on a mine closure project in Jabiru (Jabaroo); assessing a native planting program and measuring the success of different plant species being introduced to the closure site. The module is aligned to Science and Geography curriculum nationally, making it straightforward for teachers to integrate into existing classroom programs.

In the Process Operator module, students are working for QAL in Gladstone; managing the process of converting bauxite into alumina. In one step, using a gamified conveyor belt interface, students must assess incoming bauxite and drag and drop any material that doesn't meet the required specifications.

Each module is supported by aligned day-in-the-life videos; authentic, role-specific content that shows students what it actually means to work in that position at Rio Tinto.

On completion, students earn a co-branded digital badge; shareable directly to LinkedIn and their ePortfolio as a verified credential of industry experience.

Rio Tinto receives a dedicated site login for each of their locations; providing real-time visibility over module completions, student demographics, and school engagement data; giving their early careers team a direct line of sight into their pipeline.

On completion, students earn a co-branded digital badge; shareable directly to LinkedIn and their ePortfolio as a verified credential of industry experience.

Rio Tinto receives a dedicated site login for each of their locations; providing real-time visibility over module completions, student demographics, and school engagement data; giving their early careers team a direct line of sight into their pipeline.