The Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue has wanted to engage more effectively with young people for some time and after targeting the 18 to 35 age bracket, the organisation now has its first Youth Advisory Group.
The group of eleven members have met three times and the conversations have been insightful and informative.
At age nineteen Ella Coleman is one of the younger members of the group and it is the first time she has taken on a committee position. When she saw the first agenda and the group’s terms of reference she was a little daunted, but the meeting format has been nothing short of positive.
Ella said that she had a lot of questions from friends asking why she got involved.
“I just wanted to know more about what is going on in the mining industry, to have a better knowledge of what is happening now and be involved in the discussions about the future,” Ella said.
“I attended the Dialogue forum in Singleton last year and became aware of the intent to form the Youth Advisory Group and, given I work in the industry, it was the perfect opportunity to hear firsthand what is going on.”
The group has been drawn from a broad cross section of backgrounds, interests and experiences. Members represent youth and community needs and not just the interest of an organisation or particular industry.
“Everyone brings different perspectives, some focus on the environment, others on various interests which makes for a meaningful and constructive conversation.”
The overarching focus for the group is:
- Future of mining in the Upper Hunter, including workforce and skills evolution, post mining land use options, liveability and emerging industries (such as renewable energy).
- Assist to establish a youth voice in the region (identifying key issues and concerns for young people across the region to influence future decision making).
- Accessibility and engagement with information about mining, i.e. social media engagement and other effective information sharing.
- Environmental stewardship and partnerships with the Dialogue’s Environment Working Group to identify joint working opportunities.
Ella is particularly interested in the future of mining in the Upper Hunter and would like the group to have a specific focus on identifying knowledge gaps around future jobs and skills and mine closure.
“There is uncertainty and a general lack of knowledge about these issues, especially among young people.
“It would be great if we could identify the gaps in the industry and encourage young people to pursue careers that help fill those needs.
“We have students at school who are thinking about their future careers, and it would be helpful to provide a clearer picture on what those future job opportunities might look like.”
At its last meeting, the group agreed to focus on the key theme of The Future of the Hunter with an initial focus on future skills, employment and the interface with mine closure (workforce transition) and post mining land use.
The first task is to pull together a baseline of relevant census data and wider surveys, programs and knowledge base relating to these issues.
Ella initially worried that her role on the committee might be very consuming but was relieved to learn that her main responsibility is to generate ideas and share them with the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue. From there, the ideas are discussed with other groups, with the goal of turning them into actionable outcomes.
She prefers to attend meetings in person but says the option to also attend via zoom worked for others.
“It is a good group to work with and I am really looking forward to making a strong contribution.”
