Thiess Inspires Next Generation of Women in Mining
Thiess hosts its first Mining HER Future Forum in Singleton, Hunter Valley, inspiring young women to pursue diverse careers in Australia’s mining industry and promoting gender diversity.
Kawide Nakasamu 
New South Wales - A major push to encourage more young women into mining careers has taken place in regional New South Wales, with global mining services company, Thiess, hosting its first-ever Mining HER Future Forum in Singleton.
Held in the Hunter Valley and supported by NSW Mining, the Careerlinks Empower HER Program and the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education’s Educational Pathways Program, the event brought together about 120 female students from local schools.
The forum aimed to open doors into an industry that has historically struggled with gender imbalance, giving students direct access to women already working across mining and related fields.
Thiess Group Executive - Australia East, Rae O’Brien, said the initiative reflects a broader commitment to reshaping the workforce.
“At Thiess, we’re focused on increasing female participation in mining, breaking barriers and creating long-term career opportunities that will help shape the industry’s future,” she said.
The event featured a panel of Thiess employees who shared personal career journeys, offering insight into both the challenges and opportunities within the sector.
Some of the students who participated in the event
Students also took part in hands-on activities and rotated through interactive stalls highlighting roles beyond traditional perceptions of mining.
Career pathways showcased ranged from engineering and geology to finance, marketing and workplace safety, demonstrating the industry’s breadth.
Thiess Senior Social Performance Advisor, Kerrie Howells, said initiatives like the forum are key to challenging outdated stereotypes.
“Mining has long been seen as male-dominated, but that’s changing,” she said, adding that “We want young women to see that the industry offers diverse opportunities that can match their ambitions.”
The forum also sought to shift perceptions of mining itself, moving beyond images of heavy machinery and physical labour to highlight the sector’s growing demand for technical, professional and corporate skills.
The initiative comes amid broader industry efforts to address skills shortages and improve diversity, with companies increasingly recognising that attracting women will be critical to the future of Australia’s mining sector.
