How can we, as a nation, build a creative workforce?
Our society needs people who aren’t afraid to ask questions. We need people who will challenge the status quo and be prepared to be bold, decisive and independent of thought.
Parents, teachers and leaders must foster interest and awareness and confidence and self- belief in their children and charges.
Unlocking the creativity of our society is driven by the recognition that individuals are multi-dimensional and every person has the potential to enrich his or her community in their own way.
For me, this means rounding out my work life at Rio Tinto with advocacy in areas such as arts and education, where innovation is at the heart of progress.
I have been privileged to have shared conversations with creative thinkers and business visionaries who are collaborating to elevate Perth’s status as the cultural heart of Australia and the Indian Ocean rim.
We are lucky in Western Australia – business is a proud supporter of the arts and I feel we lead the country in this respect.
Businesses are building imaginative partnerships with cultural organisations that often go beyond “arts for arts sake”. Collaborations are occurring that attract and retain employees; build local and small businesses; enhance the liveability of regions; and inspire advances in programming and IT. This is innovation at its best.
I am frequently asked “Why does Rio Tinto support the arts? Surely it is not core business.”
It is not core business, but it is important to our core.
We believe in the transformative power of arts on individuals, communities and organisations. Unleashing society’s creative energies is essential to developing a world in which we want our children to grow up. It is also vital in shaping their contribution to the world.
The Commissioner for Children and Young People Michelle Scott has recognised this also and I commend her for selecting Unlocking Creativity as the theme of her inaugural Thinker in Residence project.
2011 Thinker in Residence Paul Collard, who is in WA for a two-week residency, brings with him an international perspective on creativity that will further stimulate the drive to develop and expand our state’s arts and culture sector.
I eagerly await Paul’s end-of-residency report which will contribute to a long-term vision for arts and culture education in Western Australia.
Children are the future caretakers of our planet. They are blank palettes, or sponges waiting to absorb – it is known that a person’s creative and imaginative ability is at a peak when they are young.
Rio Tinto invests significantly in children and young people, through supporting their engagement with our priority areas of the environment, culture, health and education.
For example, we are a foundation partner of the State Library of Western Australia’s Better Beginnings Family Literacy programme. Research by Edith Cowan University demonstrates that this programme is modifying behaviours, changing perceptions and verifying the importance of sharing books with children from birth.
There are so many ways to encourage learning and creativity, and they are not limited to arts and literature.
We recognise that science in today’s world is not just about Bunsen burners and white lab coats. With Rio Tinto’s support, Scitech continues to deliver science education to young people in all corners of our vast State, with outreach programmes that place an emphasis on the importance of innovation within science, technology and related fields.
Through programmes such as these, we are helping to cultivate the employees of tomorrow.
And our job ads of tomorrow will probably read quite differently from those of five, 10 or 20 years ago. We are operating in a highly dynamic, competitive and evolving sector, where cutting-edge technology and a preparedness to innovate beyond traditional boundaries can mean the difference between success and failure.
Our employees of tomorrow will need to be flexible, smart thinking and creative.
Our core business won’t change; the rhythms of finding, mining and transporting iron ore will be the same. What will change will be the tempo of these rhythms, as we find ways to run our operations more efficiently and productively.
Creative solutions involving driverless trucks and trains and other technological advances in remote operation processes and logistics are going to be the hallmarks of mining in the future.
Of course, creativity is not confined to our operations. Imaginative approaches to how we recruit and retain our people, market our products, manage our procurement function and address issues such as climate change are all helping us to stay ahead of the game.
There is much we can learn about creativity and resourcefulness from one of the world’s oldest populations, Aboriginal people.
While we are the largest private employer of Aboriginal people in Australia, Rio Tinto respects the fact that not all Traditional Owners in our mineral rich Pilbara region aspire to work for a mining company.
Art and creativity have always formed an intrinsic part of Aboriginal culture - it is a way for important custodial narratives and traditions to be documented and passed down from one generation to the next, as well as a meaningful way for young people to learn from their elders.
Rio Tinto invests in the development of Aboriginal artists and cultural businesses for this reason. Through partnerships, sponsorships and land use agreements with traditional owner groups, we are committed to exploring the potential that exists to harness the rich talents in Western Australia’s communities.
Unlocking creativity means recording stories about yesterday, documenting today for future generations, and looking forward with excitement to the potential of tomorrow.
It means investing wisely in the human beings who will guide our world through the challenges that lie ahead.
What is the best way to do this? This is the key question that all businesses, communities and governments should be asking of themselves and of each other.
Sam Walsh AO
Chief executive – Iron Ore and Australia, Rio Tinto
Chapter Chair - AbaF WA
Chairman – Chamber of Arts and Culture, Western Australia