Grow with Us – Graduate Program
At DBCT P/L, we are actively growing our workforce. The Grow with Us Program offers learning experiences to grow our existing workforce and the workforce of tomorrow. We are working to get ahead of critical skill shortages by building existing talent within DBCT and creating learning pathways for local students and members of our communities that can be drawn from for future recruitment.
More than just apprenticeships and traineeships, the Grow with Us program caters for scholarships and sponsorships to support disadvantaged individuals to study, work experience for current employees and students, university placements, cadetships and graduate placements.
Caren Rattray joined DBCT P/L in 2021 as a Graduate Terminal Modelling and Data Analyst in the Operations Support team. The team wanted an opportunity to support a recent graduate to learn our unique systems and processes and also to harness their recently acquired knowledge of new technology and processes in our company. With the advancement of our technology and systems, we produce more data and the Operations Support team are always looking for new ideas on how to manage and utilise our data to make better decisions.
Caren graduated in 2020 with Bachelor of Mathematics, with a primary major is Statistical Science with a second major in Operations Research. Caren applied for the Grow with Us program as she felt it matched her areas of interest.
The Operations Support team conducted a structured onboarding program for Caren so she could learn how the terminal, and broader coal supply chain works, engage with key stakeholders and learn from our highly experienced employees. Caren said her ‘first few months at DBCT were spent exploring data, completing video and area inductions, and asking a lot of questions. Everyone in my team is supportive, easy to approach and very knowledgeable’.
Caren said that “since commencing my graduate program, I have performed plenty of data analysis and developed several models of the terminal operations.
“One model assists in the weekly planning process for the Logistics team, and another will be used to forecast terminal capacity and throughput in the 15 week horizon. My Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming skills have been put to the test by automating the collection of data, generation of reports, and creation of forecast simulations”.
When asked her favourite project, Caren said “it's hard to pick a favourite project, because of the variety of projects I’ve worked on. I’ve worked on projects that have improved the weekly planning process, increased the efficiency of terminal modelling, increased the accuracy of reporting, and assisted in the calibration of equipment.
“My favourite aspect of this program is the flexibility to explore potential areas for improvement. I love that I’ve been encouraged to find solutions to problems, and I’ve been involved in the implementation of those solutions”.
Caren’s highlight so far has been when the team and herself travelled to Brisbane for Power BI training courses.
Caren said “this graduate program has built on my degree in ways I could never expect.
“I’ve gained experience using the knowledge from my degree, but I’ve also gained experience in related skills such as process automation and been involved in change management. I’ve learned about many facets of the terminal and its role within the supply chain. I’ve learned new software and programming languages. I’ve also had the opportunity to attend training, conferences, and seminar”.
The DBCT P/L graduate program has fostered Caren’s talent building her practical knowledge to progress her career goals.
The supportive team environment and Caren’s dedication and willingness to learn has proven a great success.
For anyone interested in our graduate programs, keep an eye on the noticeboard and website for when opportunities are advertised. Or if you think a graduate program would work in your team, speak with your Immediate Manager and People and Culture about the process to introduce a program.
By Caren Rattray