Beth Francis

What is your background?

A bit about me is that I am currently studying for a Bachelor of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of Queensland. Some of my hobbies include hiking and soccer. I became interested in the minerals processing industry after participating in the UQ Minerals Industry Trip.  This experience inspired me to join the Anglo American vacation program.

What was your Vacation Program like? 

My vacation placement with Anglo American was working with the process team as a process engineering vacation student at the German Creek CHPP, based in Middlemount, Queensland. During my placement, I worked on different projects on-site that required a combination of fieldwork, lab testing and data analysis. I enjoyed having a range of activities on site as it gave me a broader understanding of the operations. The key learnings I gained from my work were effectively communicating with different teams and contractors on-site to achieve my project goals and adapting to unexpected challenges while conducting projects.

One or two highlights of your Vacation program placement with Anglo American

• I was able to work with a range of teams on site including the operators, lab technicians and process engineers. 
• The pit tour of the Lake Lindsay mine. On the tour I was able to see the trucks, shovel and dragline. I got to go inside the dragline which was awesome. 
• Hanging out with the other vacation students was a highlight as we went on plenty of adventures on the weekends including Whitsundays, Yeppoon and Eungella National Park. 

1 or 2 pieces of advice to other university student

• Network as much as possible. Attend the networking events that the university organises as the industry connections you make can potentially lead to different career opportunities
• Actively participate in the university’s social events with other students in your cohort