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Forging pathways for greater diversity
As a global business, Scott embraces cultural diversity and recognises the backgrounds within its organisation. Scott’s core belief is that 'diverse minds create diverse solutions.' Through targeted recruitment initiatives and programmes that encourage more women to enter engineering, Scott is striving to achieve a more gender-diverse workforce, particularly in technical roles and leadership positions.
“When it comes to gender diversity, we are proud of our progress to date, however, our journey is only just beginning,” says Casey Jenkins Group GM and President of Minerals. “New solutions demand new ways of thinking, and a diverse team is essential to reflect our global customer base and drive innovation.”
Scott continues its sponsorship of RoboCup Junior, a school-based competition designed to inspire young students to engage with, and pursue careers in, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The event challenges school-aged students to solve real-world problems through robotics, ranging from football games to rescue missions and performing arts.
"Over the years of sponsoring this event, we’ve noticed an encouraging trend of increased female participation," says Jenkins. "We believe this involvement will lead to more young women pursuing careers in STEM and contributing to the future of innovation."
In the tertiary education sector, Scott has strengthened its commitment to gender diversity by partnering with the University of Canterbury, renowned for producing top engineering graduates. Together, they launched the Scott Technology Women in Engineering Scholarship, aimed at supporting female engineering students. The scholarship covers up to $5,000 in fees, provides a $1,000 stipend and offers a paid internship at Scott. Now in its second year, the initiative is helping pave the way for more women to enter the engineering profession, fostering a more inclusive future in the industry.
In August, the Scott Technology Women in Engineering Scholarship was awarded to Molly Newman. Studying a Bachelor of Engineering specialising in Mechatronics, Molly is passionate about technology and the impact it has in transforming the world around us.
“Molly was one of several incredible applicants we received, and it is wonderful to see so many young women thriving in engineering. Molly's leadership and passion for women in engineering impressed the panel and we not only look forward to supporting her over the next few years but also seeing the impact she will make,” says Jenkins.
"This scholarship's acknowledgement of the role that diversity and inclusion can play in the success of engineering is incredibly motivating." shares Molly Newman, 2024 Scholarship recipient.
In addition to scholarships, Scott offers alternative pathways into technology through our apprenticeship programme, which plays a crucial role in developing technical talent.
“At Scott, we understand that people have different learning styles, and our apprenticeship programme provides a valuable, hands-on pathway for individuals to develop their technical skills. These apprentices not only stay with the company but also grow and thrive, achieving remarkable career milestones. It’s important to us to create opportunities for success, recognising the diverse talents and potential that exist outside traditional academic routes," notes Jenkins.
Apprenticeship Pathway: From RoboCup to Scott
Heather Robertson’s career in engineering began with a passion for robotics, sparked by her participation in RoboCup, a school-based robotics competition sponsored by Scott. This early exposure, coupled with a personal connection, led her to pursue an apprenticeship at Scott in 2018.
"I didn’t know much about robotics at first but I loved it from the start and never looked back," she says.
Competing in RoboCup throughout high school, Heather excelled in categories like theatre, soccer and rescue, winning multiple events. She first learned about Scott’s apprenticeship programme from Donald, a Scott employee who judged RoboCup. Encouraged by Donald, she applied and was accepted.
"I didn’t fully understand what an electrical apprenticeship involved but I knew I wanted to work at Scott because of their robotics work," Heather explains.
Her apprenticeship provided valuable hands-on experience, including building machines like the lamb primal (a machine for processing lamb) and maintaining older equipment. Mentored by electricians Tom and Donald, she gained a solid foundation in practical skills.
"An apprenticeship teaches you far more practical skills than you can learn in a classroom," Heather says.
Heather’s role expanded as she worked with the service team, which deepened her interest in service work. In 2022, she moved from New Zealand to Brisbane to take on a service engineer role.
"Moving to Brisbane was a big adventure. The apprenticeship gave me a head start, while many of my peers were still in university,"she shares.
