A last-minute decision to study mining instead of medicine led to a successful career for Peter Bradford. Now, as chairman of the WAIT Alumni Scholarships Campaign Committee, he wants to support today\u2019s students so they can receive similar opportunities to\u00a0him.<\/p>\n
From a young age, Peter Bradford decided that he wanted to become a doctor, however in year 12, an information session held by representatives from the Western Australian School of Mines enticed him to pursue a career in mining and resources instead.<\/p>\n
After finishing high school, he studied a Bachelor of Extractive Metallurgy at the Western Australian School of Mines, based in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, from 1976 to 1978. While some other students struggled to adjust to life in Kalgoorlie, Bradford reveals he had nothing but a positive experience studying in the historic mining town.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great learning at the school, and then having access to vacation work to help fund expenses,\u201d he says, referring to paid work experience often undertaken by students in the mining industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved Kalgoorlie from the first moment I saw it. There was a great sense of comradery and likeminded behaviour from the type of people that were attracted to the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision to study mining delivered a highly successful career for Bradford. For the past 20 years, he has worked as CEO, managing director or non-executive director in several mining corporations operating in Australia and overseas.<\/p>\n
Bradford is currently CEO and managing director of Independence Group (IGO), an ASX 200 mining, development and exploration company with three operational mines, and a fourth mine in construction.<\/p>\n
Now, he has made the decision to \u201cgive back\u201d so Curtin students can have the same opportunities he had, by choosing to become chairman of the WAIT Alumni Scholarships Campaign Committee. His role is to donate a financial gift to help fund scholarships for students, become the campaign\u2019s public face and encourage others to donate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in a family that could not have afforded to send me to university. Thankfully, at the time I studied, tuition was more or less free. Government assistance paid for the majority of the living expenses and the vacation work paid for the rest,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat kind of support is not available for the majority of students today, who have to deal with hefty tuition fees and living expenses. There is also a lot of competition between students in applying for vacation work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bradford is using every opportunity he can get to endorse the campaign, whether through his networks or during conferences that he attends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe campaign\u2019s goal is to raise $2 million to help fund student scholarships,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe we can achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As chairman of the WAIT Alumni Scholarships Campaign Committee, West Australian School of Mines alumnus Peter Bradford wants to support today\u2019s students so they can have the same opportunities as him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4275,"featured_media":5626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-5625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-and-global-community"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"Help those in need","content":"
Despite a commitment of $6.5 million annually towards scholarships as a result of funding from Curtin University, the Commonwealth and external organisations, 65 per cent of students who apply for a scholarship miss out.<\/p>\n