Rio Tinto has commenced a recruitment campaign for University graduates from Australia and New Zealand, as it seeks to attract the best and brightest minds across a range of disciplines, including engineering, data science, advanced technology, business and geology.

Commencing in early 2024, successful applicants will participate in an award-winning two-year Graduate Development Program designed to prepare graduates to lead, innovate and invent.

The company is seeking to recruit approximately 150 Australian and New Zealand-based graduates out of a global program of 300 graduates. Last year, Rio Tinto welcomed 261 graduates globally, with more than half women and 130 based in Australia including 16% Indigenous Australians.

During the program, graduates will be inspired by futurists and external thought leaders from creative industries who will seek to spark their imagination and inspire them to tackle problems and create solutions in different ways.

Earlier this month, Rio Tinto’s Graduate Development Program won the “Most Popular Mining & Energy Employer” award in Australia’s GradConnection Top 100 Graduate Employer Awards for the second year in a row.

Skye Tansley, a Rio Tinto Graduate in Products and Software based in Brisbane, said “I’m proud to be a part of the growing number of women across STEM disciplines. I am excited to be working for Rio Tinto at a time where big changes are going to be made to the way we address our environmental and social responsibilities, and to see the positive effects that these changes are having, both on the business and the wider community. I want a future that I am proud to leave behind.”

Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia, Kellie Parker, said “Our award-winning graduate program provides an excellent launching pad for the next generation of leaders at Rio Tinto. It ensures we have an exceptional pipeline of young talent across our business, embedded with critical future skills across disciplines such engineering, technology, geosciences, data science and commercial.

“At Rio Tinto, we are committed to finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs to decarbonise and our graduates will be at the frontline of ensuring we deliver on that promise. With decarbonisation at the heart of our strategy, Rio Tinto presents a unique opportunity for any graduate wanting to play a leading role in accelerating decarbonisation and tackling this global challenge.”

Rio Tinto is a global organisation with 49,000 employees working across 35 countries. The global Graduate Program will see graduates based in 14 countries across more than 50 locations.