BHP and Curtin University team for the future

BHP and Curtin University have partnered to assist students across Western Australia with their tertiary education journeys.

The BHP scholarships have been designed to give students from its host communities in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions first preference when applying for the funding.

The scholarships are expected to provide recipients with financial aid, mentorship, fourth year research project support and visits to mining operations.

Fields of study eligible for the scholarship include mining engineering and metallurgy, with dedicated opportunities available for women and Indigenous students interested in studying these fields.

BHP and Curtin University first formed its partnership in 2020, with the intention to drive research and innovation projects in the resources and energy sector, as well as provide it with job-ready graduates.

More recently, BHP partnered with Curtin University and Greening Australia to trial vegetation barriers to capture dust and improve air quality in the west end of Port Hedland as part of BHP’s Pilbara Air Quality Program.

BHP head of corporate affairs WA Meath Hammond said that scholarships are an important part of rewarding academic excellence, supporting research, and enabling students from all backgrounds to realise their potential.

“We are very pleased to be working with Curtin University to make these scholarships available, particularly with the focus on the regional communities where we operate,” Hammond said.

This partnership doesn’t mark the first time Curtin University has teamed up with a major miner. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mineral Resources (MinRes) to drive mining innovation and to prepare the next generation of miners for future jobs in late June.

The applications for the BHP scholarships are open until August 11.