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Davey Bickford Enaex Mother’s Day Spotlight

08 May 2020 | Partner News

Originally published by Davey Bickford Enaex here.

Mining is embedded in many communities, and it can be that close link between industry and place that inspires people to engage with it as a career path. Jodie Currie is the founder of the Bowen Basin Mining Club, bringing the industry together with networking events and facilitating connections between regional communities and mining executives. Coming from Mackay, her family was closely linked to the mining industry.

“All of my family including my parents, siblings and grandfather worked in mining,” Jodie says. “When the opportunity came up to start a business in the industry it was a natural fit. I started the Bowen Basin Mining Club 10 years ago while I was on maternity leave with my second son. The BBMC started with a conversation with my mum, who was running an international mining publication at the time. We were talking about how it was so costly for regional businesses to attend conferences and get in front of the right people.”

Jodie’s background gave her unique insight into the links between regional communities and mining companies, and how best to improve networking access.

“The original idea for the BBMC was to take mining executives to regional communities and create a low cost event for suppliers, contractors, miners and stakeholders to meet and network – and that core purpose is still driving the BBMC today!” Jodie says. “The business has grown significantly over the past decade to include industry forums, online outreaches, a Yearbook publication and a biannual Awards program – with more to launch this year! I am continually looking for ways to showcase Queensland’s incredible mining industry to the world.”

From Jodie’s perspective, the mining industry has driven huge changes in the gender equality space, with many companies uplifting the voices of women, valuing gender diversity in hiring and closing the gender pay gap.

“Companies like BHP, Anglo and Glencore are focused on telling the stories of the women in their workforce and trying to crush the stereotype that mining is a man’s world,” Jodie says. “In terms of pathways into mining, the Thiess Sisters In Mining (Oothung) Program is one that really stands out to me. Not only are Thiess encouraging women into the industry, but they specifically work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women wanting to begin their mining career.”With women in mining being a huge industry focus, Jodie says that most companies have gender diversity targets built into their recruitment and employment strategies, and there are more initiatives and opportunities being created every year.

“At the moment, we’re actually looking to uncover these kinds of stories with the Queensland Mining Awards,” Jodie says. “We have a category that covers Equal Employment Opportunity initiatives. The Thiess Oothung program was a previous winner, and I can’t wait to see what other initiatives are in this year’s entries.”

The supportive community of women in mining continues to grow, including formal initiatives such as Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) and Jodie’s aim to have as many female speakers as possible at BBMC’s events.

“I am also very fortunate to have an amazing network of women in mining, and we meet on a regular basis,” Jodie says. “We meet regularly to bounce ideas off each other, support each others’ initiatives and build our businesses. They are genuinely the nicest, most ambitious (but non-competitive) group of women I have met.”

Jodie had seen firsthand the value of flexible working arrangements. These initiatives show how the mining industry is not only interested in attracting women to join, but also in retaining their staff and making sure they don’t have to choose between work and family.

“The International Women’s Day Balance for Better campaign in 2019 highlighted the fact that we all expect balance, and the mining industry is really making some great headway in this area,” Jodie says. “As a small business owner, I’ve been fortunate enough to create my own flexibility and build a career in the mining industry that does fit around my family – and I know plenty of other small business owners who feel the same way. The roster system, while it has its challenges, is something that can be worked into a flexible family lifestyle.”

Jodie’s message for women and girls considering a future in mining? Go for it.

“I continually tell people how lucky I am to work in the industry and how much I love working with all types of people from CEOs through to site-based staff,” Jodie says. “You can’t beat the down-to-earth nature of the mining and resources community – they’re good people.”

Thank you to Jodie for being a part of our Mother’s Day series, highlighting women in Mining.