In August 2008 I was lucky enough to attend the AusIMM Metplant Conference in Perth WA! It was excellent! The conference itself ran for 2 full days and then had specialized workshops on the side including Flotation, Heap Leaching and Sampling Techniques. Because I was already out that way I was lucky enough to organise a tour to the KCGM Super Pit and also got a tour of the Processing Plant! It was great - definately worth a look if you are ever out that way!Conferences like this can at first look very very expensive - BUT - as a student member of the AusIMM you can apply for a student discount AND if you are lucky (and dont mind running mics in Q time) you can volunteer to help and often get a very cheap registration. These conferences mainly attract Metallurgist and Processing Specialist already working within the mining industry, therefore conferences like this are ideal for students that are serious about getting a job in this industry.
Being able to attend Specialist talks about an extrordinary array of topics including Hydrometallurgy, Pyrometallurgy, Gravity Seperation, and Dewatering processes was amazing and I gained an invaluable insight into the industry, the processes used AND new processes being developed! You dont learn stuff like this at Uni!
I highly recommend to all students that are interested in working in the Mining Industry to check all the upcoming conferences being held by the AusIMM (and become a member if you arent already one - cost is only $11 for students!) and get on board and attend any that you like the look of! You wont regret it - use it not only as a technical learning curve but also a networking event and you might just get some contacts for Vac work / Grad jobs!
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