The programme offers young professionals an opportunity to present their work to a panel of experts and industry mentors, showcasing how they contribute to a responsible mining industry.

Port Waratah’s own IT Graduate, Rebecca Harmes, entered ‘The Pitch’ with a Spare Material Tracking App project, which she developed in partnership with Procurement to solve a problem they have with tracking and managing spare stock materials.

Initially her final university project as part of her degree, the created application centres on minimising waste, reducing potential costs and improving sustainability outcomes by utilising excess materials more effectively. The application is designed to load onto employee phones and iPads, enabling easy access for checking, uploading and updating stock material data. Users can input various details, including photos and GPS coordinates. The project is currently in the prototype stage, with production scheduled for deployment and app release planned for later this year.

Rebecca was selected from hundreds of entries to pitch alongside six other contestants in front of an expert panel and a large audience, both present and viewing online.

While The Pitch is not a competition but rather a showcase of emerging talent across the NSW Mining industry, Rebecca was selected as the standout participant by the panel of experts and industry mentors. Her coveted prize is one-on-one mentoring with Leadership Development Specialist, Suzie Miller, and a cash prize.

"I applied for The Pitch as it sounded like a great opportunity to talk about an interesting project that I have been working on,” Mrs Harmes said.

“I was fortunate enough to have an incredible support network around me here at Port Waratah who helped with speech feedback, presentation tips, and just moral support.

“Trying to write a presentation that was suitable for the audience was difficult as I had never been to one of these conferences before, let alone spoke at one, but the support and encouragement I received from those around me was great.

“This was absolutely a large step out of my comfort zone, but an unforgettable experience, and I am so glad that I took the opportunity. I encourage everyone who is thinking of doing something like this to take the leap, push yourself, and it may just end up being a great experience.”

A group of enthusiastic Port Waratah team members attended Rebecca's outstanding presentation both in person and online, to cheer her on and celebrate the impressive achievement.

Terry Campbell, Contracts and Logistics Supervisor, shared his thoughts on Rebecca and the app.

“Rebecca’s project has lived all four of Port Waratah’s values. She responded to an issue in Procurement (Waste) and being in the IT Team, developed a platform that uses GPS and photos to provide visibility of non-stocked items onsite, which were previously untracked,” Mr Campbell said.

“I’m very proud of her and it’s great to see someone at the start of their career be so passionate and deliver at such a high standard.”

Port Waratah is committed to nurturing and growing talent through its comprehensive Early Careers Programme, which includes a range of opportunities for apprentices, trainees and graduates. The programme ensures that individuals receive the support and development they need to thrive in their careers. We are excited to announce that applications for graduate engineers commencing in 2025 are now open. Visit pwcs.com.au/work-with-us/join-our-team for more information.