Alcoa’s Graduate Mine Engineering Program equips Alcoans to excel

At Alcoa, a core value is Operate with Excellence and that means creating an environment where our teams are equipped to learn in ways that will help bring forward the ingenuity in every Alcoan, so they can thrive.

Three years of hands-on work at a grass roots level across our mining operations culminated in Bukayo Taiwo becoming the second person to complete Alcoa’s Graduate Mine Engineering Program. Based on the Graduate Program by the resources sector peak body AusIMM, the initiative began in 2018 to attract, develop and retain the best young mine engineers in the industry.

Bukayo also recently passed the challenging Quarry Managers exam to gain her Certificate of Competency from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) and now has a permanent role as a Mining Engineer working on our long-term mine planning.

The Quarry Managers certificate covers legislation and regulation to complement the practical knowledge Bukayo gained during three years of placements across the Bauxite Centre of Excellence and Willowdale and Huntly mines as part of the Graduate Program.

“Now, if I’m the one on site planning mining operations, I have a much better idea of what view to take on things because I’ve worked with a lot of different crews and I’ve lived, seen and done the job alongside them and know firsthand what it involves,” Bukayo explained.

During the last several years, Bukayo has worked in different departments and teams to gain practical knowledge in many aspects of mining operations including driving haul trucks, blasting, being part of a production crew, rehabilitation, driving scratchies (small excavators) and long term mining planning. She is also a member of Alcoa’s Women in Operations program as part of the Bunuru syndicate.

“I feel relieved. It’s a lot of work and not at all easy with the legal jargon, so I am quite proud of myself,” Bukayo said on passing the Quarry Manager’s exam. "The practical placements are an adjustment because there is a different mentality actually being on the equipment. You feel a lot of responsibility to be safe and follow the rules."

At Alcoa, we believe in nurturing talent by equipping the next generation with the skills necessary to be ready to tackle complex challenges. Explore the opportunities to grow: SEARCH APPRENTICESHIPS, TRAINEES AND INTERNSHIPS