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idoba chief executive
Sarah Coleman with her
award at the Women in
Industry Awards night in
Sydney

industry employed just 9,000 women. To- about how we solve these problems, and “I have been in mining for 20 years and
day, more than 57,000 women account for we’re not going to be able to solve them by I think, over that time, we have talked a lot
21% of the mining workforce across com- using the same thinking that got us where about those things, but it certainly feels like
pany boards and on exploration and mine we are. there has been a shift in the last 12 months
sites. Women in more senior positions in “We actually need to embrace that di- towards genuinely getting to the root caus-
the industry have showed initiative to pro- versity of thought and inclusive environ- es of these problems and asking, ‘how do
mote a diverse workforce. ment to drive innovation.” we solve this?’,” she said.
During last month’s national Women in The global resources industry has strug- Farris echoed Coleman’s sentiments
Industry Awards Night, idoba chief execu- gled over the past years to attract new tal- towards new participants in the industry
tive Sarah Coleman was awarded the Ex- ent as the next five years may have up to and pleaded for marginalised workers not
cellence in Mining Award. 24,000 jobs in Australia’s mining industry to leave on the back of a negative experi-
Coleman told Paydirt the diversity of that will need filling. ence.
her team has paved the way for innovative The Australian Resources and Energy “The one piece of advice I would give
achievements. Employer Association declared it the is, ‘please don’t leave the industry’,” she
“We’re about 40% female in our team,” “worst skills crisis in a generation” earlier said. “Too often we lose incredibly talented
she said. “There’s really strong comradery this year. women because of those bad experiences
in our team around driving female repre- Coleman acknowledged that while and I would hope that even if you do suffer
sentation. young workers may still be hesitant to join a bad experience, something can be done
“We look at where the industry is go- the resources industry, she said the past about it to make sure you can still be part
ing and the complexity that’s coming at year had been transformative with more of the industry.”
us with ESG…we need to think differently change to come.
– Fraser Palamara

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT OCTOBeR 2022 Page 9