A Bis and Whitehaven initiative, Girls Rocking Resources, focuses on career opportunities for women and included hands-on STEM activities, site tours of the Bis depot and Whitehaven's Tarrawonga mine, panel discussions with employees from both companies, and inspiring talks from young females working in the resources sector.

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Among the high school students were 11 members of Gunnedah Girls Academy, which provides school-based programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, and the school's Aboriginal Education Officer Sommar Conlan.

Academy development officer Kylie Milsom said it was "fun" and "a great opportunity for the girls".

"It was a big eye-opener to actually be hands-on and physically see how big the machinery is," she said.

"The girls really got a lot out of it. They enjoyed the activities ... [and] the feedback I got from the girls was all positive.

"Some of them were a bit iffy before we went but once we got out there, they just opened up and thought, 'I really like this. I could see myself doing this'. It changed a lot of the girls' minds and got them thinking outside that box, that anything is possible."

Among the teenagers was Year 12 student Zoe Fleming who was "really keen" to get a taste of the real-life experience.

Girls Rocking Resources sets out to encourage greater diversity and inclusion and goes hand-in-hand with Bis' and Whitehaven's sponsorship of the academy program, which aims to drive community-led solutions to help reduce the barriers that may prevent Indigenous girls from completing their education and reaching their full potential.

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