Every great initiative starts by solving a problem. For Australia’s resources sector, the problem was a growing disconnect between student and the working industry — a gap that was felt on both sides of the industry.

On one side are the students. Passionate, educated, and eager to gain insight into the industry and begin their careers with useful and practical skills. They face a frustrating catch-22: you can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. The doors to the industry feel closed, with opportunities often limited to the top-tier students at the largest companies, leaving a huge pool of capable talent struggling to get a foothold.

On the other side are the businesses, especially the small-to-mid-tier companies that form the backbone of our industry. They are frustrated by a different challenge: finding graduates who are truly “job-ready.” They need people who understand the practical realities of at least part of the resources industry, not just the theory from a textbook. The complaint was common: “We can’t find students with the right skills.”

These two frustrations were two sides of the same coin.