What It's Like To Work (And Study) From A Mining Site (Hint: "Game Of Thrones" Helps)

This post is presented in partnership with CQUniversity.

“A good laptop and a nice big hard drive full of movies, I guess.”

It’s the correct answer to a number of questions – like, “What would you rescue if your house was on fire?” or, “Which upgrades could Robocop have used?” – but for CQUniversity student John Barry, it’s what keeps him entertained on his days off from uni and work at the Oaky North mine in Queensland (three hours from Mackay).

The 22-year-old Brisbane native is in the second year of his Engineering - Technical diploma at CQUniversity, which he’s undertaking remotely while working as a Trainee Engineer for Glencore.

“I get a day a week study leave from work, and most of my other study is done over the weekend, so social life went out the window a little bit,” John told Student Edge.

Hence, the hard drive.

“But I’ve learned to manage my time a bit better as well,” he added.

Back in 2010, while in Year 12, John was gearing up to head straight into uni.

“I had all the ambition to go to uni. I was going to apply to JCU [James Cook University] and UQ [University of Queensland] and all the other unis,” he explained.

It wasn’t until a speaker from Abbot Point, which Glencore operates, came to his school offering an apprenticeship, and his graphics teacher reiterated that there were different pathways to engineering, that John considered an alternate route.

“I applied [for the Abbot Point apprenticeship] and said that if they offered me the job, I’d take it. And then, I think it was a couple months later, right before I finished school, they offered me a job as an apprentice, so I took it instead of going to uni,” he said.

It kicked off four consecutive years of apprenticeships, placements and on-the-job training. It wasn’t until 2015 that he decided to embark on his diploma.

“My parents let me make the decision for myself. They’re pretty happy with it, because they didn’t have to pay for uni, obviously,” he laughed.

A self-described problem-solver, John says that his unique path has actually been beneficial to his career. Specifically, he’s picked up one essential trait that’s not necessarily prioritised in the classroom: people skills.

“You’ve got to be able to communicate with people effectively and efficiently and make sure you’re understood as an engineer, so nothing gets miscommunicated, as well as creating a bit of a relationship with the contractor and supplier,” he explained.

“Because I’ve done my trade first, I can relate a bit better with some of the guys on the floor. When they know that I’ve come from a trade background, they give me a bit more respect as an engineer.”

So, the hard work’s paying off; the key word there being ‘hard’.

“It’s really tough being away from home” John said.

“I live out of my bag pretty much. I live out of the suitcase. Always travelling around. On different weekends I’ll travel down to Brisbane. I’ve got family down there I can see."

Still, at least he’s got the laptop for that one day off a week.

“I’m a big Game of Thrones fan, so I’ll rewatch [episodes] a few times. Or, one of the classics I like to watch is Super Troopers.”

Until Season 6 of GOT arrives though, he’s making do with Vikings.

“It’s alright, but I’d rather watch Game of Thrones.”

Open up your universe and consider a degree at CQUniversity, just like John. For more information, go to cqu.edu.au

Photo: Supplied.