b'Education matters adaptive way to solve some of the bigWe need people who are motivatedsomething, and to help the community, systems issues that we are facing. In aby problems that are bigger than whatenvironment or planet.time when we have a buoyant industryone person can solve, motivated byThe recruitment process has also those skilled graduates are very hardadaptive challenges. Were looking forchanged, you dont just recruit to come by. I work with an outstandingpeople who really have a motivationsomebody for a skill today, you are team of geoscientists in the Mineralto continue learning and be a parttrying to attract someone that you Systems Branch at GA, and we work toof the solution. Were also attractingcan work with, who will adapt and ensure that Australia will have a supplypeople for whom the UN Sustainablegrow into a role that is meaningful and chain of minerals and critical mineralsDevelopment Goals are important. Thissuccessful.into the future. We have an exciting workis a reflection of how personal values programme, and new opportunities comecan really drive careers. Geoscientists,Another change is the interview, from up with every new project. more importantly, geophysicists,the makeup of the interview panels, to MP: What skills are you looking for incan really make a difference in thethe questions that are asked to blind recent university graduates? world at the moment. Our earlyrecruitment - there are checks and career scientists, as well as thosebalances that make the process more MC: Its really important to developwith extensive experience, are highlyequitable.fundamental science skills at university. Wevalued and play a critical role in our are also looking for early career scientists towork programme a programme thatTheres much more attention to be adaptable and have a growth mindset.ultimately seeks to make a differenceworkplace culture. So front and centre Some of the things I ask early careerfor all Australians. of recruitment is diversity and inclusion. scientists include: What are you willing toYoull often have a diversity and inclusion learn? What would you like to grow into?Critical minerals are reallyquestion during an interview. The What are your interests? What motivatesresponse is important. Is the applicant and drives you? I think all sectors areimportant and underpin thelikely to contribute to a healthy looking for graduates who want to solvetransition to clean energy,workplace environment? Their response important problems and to keep growingunderpin the UN Sustainablecan win them the job, or put them lower throughout their career. There is plenty ofDevelopment Goals anddown the list.room for both the deep domain scientistunderpin environmental socialThese days, there is also a lot more and the generalist at all academic levelsflexibility in a job. You might be and in a number of scientific disciplines.governance. employed as a geophysicist, but you At the moment its very hard to findcan do a lot of work remotely, you can geophysicists in the market place. The skillsMP: How do you think the recruitmentwork flexibly. And working flexibly may that physicists or programmers have oftenprocess itself has changed over the lastmean working four days a week, part fill an important gap, and maybe we needten to twenty years? time, or job sharing. Parental leave is a to attract more physicists, mathematiciansMC: I think that twenty years agoright. I think theres a lot of benefits in and coders to geophysics. recruitment was about who you knew,flexible work arrangements and I know Geoscience Australia and the universityyour contacts and your experience.GAs staff really value and appreciate sector have a very strong workingBut in recent years, theres been athe flexible arrangements that are relationship. GA is working onhuge shift towards diversity andavailable to them.collaborative projects that will help fillinclusion as well as authentic skills- MP: The energy sector is rapidly changing future needs, we foster opportunitiesbased merit. now. The minerals sector also faces that help develop the types of skills thatThere is a huge demand for the types ofsignificant transformations toward students and graduates should have.technical skills that we require. We neednet-zero emission and critical energy Australia needs more geophysicists,to be, I think, creative in marketing ourminerals challenges. Do we expect geologists and geoscientists and othervacancies and the organisation to ourrevolution or evolution in tertiary specialists for example, environmentalprospective staff, or to the people whoeducation to ensure a smooth transition scientists, geospatial scientists,are looking for a job. It is a competitiveto what is required from our sectors?mathematicians, coders, and the list goesmarket. MC: Im not sure if its a revolution or on. Talented graduates with these skillsPeople are looking for very, veryevolution. There is already a change are important for minerals, energy, neardifferent things from a job than theyin secondary and tertiary education. surface engineering, environment andwere twenty years ago. And weve hadAttracting students is the bottom other geoscience fields. to change. People are looking for workline for tertiary institutions. Starting life balance. People are looking to doat the secondary school level, and We need people who aresomething that aligns with their values,even earlier, is important to attracting motivated by problems that aresomething worthwhile, and somethingstudents in the geosciences. There bigger than what one personthat they can share with their friendsis also a change in how society gets and family to show the impact of theirinformation, were getting much can solve, motivated by adaptivework and how it is making a differencemore of our education through challenges. Were looking forto our planet. media, through the news, or through the people who really have theadvertisements, documentaries and The job needs to be more thansocial media. Were getting much more motivation to continue learningappealing and well paid. It alsoinformation about why the smooth and and be a part of the solution needs to have a vision, to be part ofefficient transition to a clean energy FEBRUARY 2022 PREVIEW 30'