Tairani (Rani) Ngatai’s career pathway at Mineral Resources (MinRes) would inspire many newcomers to the resources industry, but a passion for mining runs in her family.
“My mum was a dump truck operator and having seen her enjoy the challenges of the role – along with the lifestyle and benefits – I set about paving my own path towards a rewarding career in the industry,” Rani said.
In 2021, she decided to step away from her job as a hairdresser and with no previous mining experience joined MinRes’ Entry Level Operator (ELO) program.
The program combines first-class training with long-term career prospects for anyone looking to get their foot in the door of the mining industry, offering structured training in a supportive and welcoming team environment.
Just three years on, Rani is now MinRes' first home-grown All Rounder Operator and can safety and confidently operate three types of machines on site.
She reflected on her development throughout the ELO program and fond memories of time spent at her first MinRes site: the Mt Marion lithium operation in the Goldfields.
“Everyone was super supportive, I felt like I fit in and the environment was great for learning,” Rani said.
“I joined the ELO program just as MinRes was incorporating simulators into its training, which helped me learn the controls before physically getting into the machine. It felt like I was already on site.”
MinRes’ state-of-the-art Training and Development Centre provides an immersive training environment incorporating technology which simulates all mining equipment in use across its sites.
“Having the opportunity to understand and mimic all the machinery’s components fast-tracked my skills development gave me the confidence to pursue other training pathways.”
For Rani, what followed was a whirlwind period of professional development starting in March 2023 when she became MinRes' inaugural trainee participant in its Grader Pathway program.
She said the program’s dedicated training structure provided a safe place to learn, make mistakes and hone her operator skills.
“Eighteen months after graduating as a grader operator, I successfully joined the Dozer Pathway program – which brought a whole new set of challenges and opportunities,” she said.
Rani recently completed the Dozer Pathway program and will soon receive her national accreditation.
Rani’s positive attitude, skills development and high performance was further rewarded when she was nominated by the Training and Development team for MinRes’ popular Inspire program.
The program cultivates career resilience in emerging talent across the company and empowers participants to grow professional networks, sharpen their skills and build confidence to pursue leadership roles.
As part of her participation in Inspire, which she completed in June, Rani set a goal to become a MinRes Safety Representative – a role which actively supports MinRes’ safety culture and engages in health and safety matters at site level.
Fast forward to today and Rani now serves as a Safety Representative at MinRes' Wodgina lithium operation, applying the public speaking skills developed through the Inspire program to guide important pre-start meeting conversations.
Inspired by her mum’s career choices but now having forged her own pathway through MinRes training and development programs, Rani said she’s immensely proud of her journey so far.
“With hard work and time, you’ll get there," she said.
"You can honestly tale your career in so many directions at MinRes; the opportunities are endless.”
MinRes is committed to providing its people with opportunities to develop their skills and grow successful careers.
