Out Of Sight, Out Of Mine: The Vital Lesson That Visiting An Active Mine In Kalgoorlie Has Taught Me | Stories From The Road #3

Today I had the most unexpectedly fascinating experience. I visited the KCGM Super Pit which is one of the largest open cut gold mines in the southern hemisphere. My interest in the mine had little to do with being a tourist and everything to do with being a careers nerd.

(For the sake of this post, I am only looking at the mining industry through the lens of potential career opportunities for young people.)

I didn't grow up in a mining area. "You can go to the mines for a year and make $100k" was about the extent of the information I received. The whole industry was basically out of sight, out of mine (pun absolutely intended).

The KCGM mine has been operating for over 125 years and literally sits beside the town of Kalgoorlie. There is a lookout where you can stand and observe a large chunk of the operation.

To experience in real life an active open cut mine (a term I've obviously only just learned) was unlike anything I'd imagined. I was transfixed. The scale was hard to fathom. There was this beautiful choreography to the operation. A procession of mega trucks snaking their way down to the excavation sites, the excavators digging and loading, the trucks powering their way back up to the processing plant. Everything timed to perfection.

My mind started racing with all the jobs that it must take to keep an operation like this going day in, day out. (As it turns out, it takes 1200 employees and contractors).

There were information placards at the lookout where I was able to learn about some of the specialised roles. The geologists and surveyors who prospect and geologically map the area. The blast technicians who drill and set explosives. The loader operators who drive multi-million dollar machinery and scoop the ore. The heavy diesel mechanics who maintain the fleet on site.

It made me think about how I had never considered metallurgical engineering at school because, well, I had never heard of it (let alone seen someone around me doing interesting things because of it). Grow up in Kalgoorlie though, and you might go to a high school located next to WA School of Mines. When whole industries are out of sight, it's tough for them to enter our minds.

A central theme of my Roadshow presentation is encouraging students to ask themselves "What else is out there?" I believe I have a responsibility to not only continue asking this of my own career but to also discover what is out there for young people.

In spending almost an hour watching this mine in action, I developed a new level of understanding and appreciation for one of the biggest industries in our country. I am certain I couldn't have attained this by simply watching a video. This is why whenever possible career education needs to be taken out of the classroom and into the world.

In a broader sense, I was deeply moved by how many opportunities exist for young people to get started in their careers, particularly for regional students.

I suspect this experience will weave its way into a story for when I'm back visiting schools on the east coast. But in the meantime, I'll be researching how I can get a look in at the Fremantle Ports...