Jade Woodsen grew up in the thick of the Queensland mining industry at Mt Isa. She has spent 14 years in the mining industry herself and built her mining career across many roles at different sites including the QCoal Northern Hub.

It was all that experience across various machines and in numerous roles that saw her offered the opportunity to undertake her OCE course. She has been successful in obtaining it this year and is already out in the field putting it into action.

The process of obtaining your OCE ticket is no walk in the park so we had a chat to Jade about her experience, her time in mining and advice she has for anyone currently knee-deep in their OCE studies.

This is the final episode for Season 1 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride! We can't wait to get our shovels out again in 2026 and dig even deeper.

Brock Mendyk was born and raised in the Hunter Valley. He finished school and got his boilermaker trade and started working at Bulga near Singleton.

Brock built some special bonds and made lifelong friends on site who helped him through the hardest time in his life: losing his father and his sister to suicide.

Fast forward, Brock has left the Hunter Valley and completely changed careers. He's moving into life coaching so he can share his story and learnings with people who need someone to help them in their lives and guide them towards a better version of themselves.

Enjoy this episode! Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

Kim Nguyen is the Director and Founder of Core Mine, a business created to make leaders better and equip them with what they need to become better leaders.

Kim spent 23 years in open cut mining working his way up the leadership chain. Kim firmly believes that his parents and his upbringing helping shape him into the person he is today. His parents came to Australia with nothing, displaced by war in Vietnam.

Kim's life took a tragic turn in 2021 when he lost his chosen brother. That moment became the catalyst for him to find what his life had been missing.

Enjoy this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!

Katie Siemsen worked in the health and safety area of coal mining for about ten years. Earlier this year she decided it was time to step out on her own and take on being her own boss with 'Empower Business Solutions'.

Without planning it, Katie has become something of a disrupter. Sharing her thoughts on LinkedIn about the harsh realities she experienced while she worked in the industry and what she believes needs to change, and be better.

Through her business she hopes to empower leaders in the industry to make the workplace a better place for women, and men to be. From toilets to a fair share or work to having work uniforms that actually fit.

Enjoy this episode! Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) is celebrating 50 years of saving lives across northern NSW this year.

David Gatwood isn't just a volunteer, he was rescued by the WRHS in 2021. It was on the October long weekend that he was riding with his mates in the Upper Hunter and rode over a cattle grid coming off his bicycle. David thought that was it.

Until he heard the comforting sounds of the WRHS overhead.

David is forever grateful to the Service for saving his life. Jess sat down with David in Scone to hear his story and believe us when we say you'd better have the tissues ready.

Leave us a rating and review, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface wherever you're listening!

In 2016 Steve Fordham started a business with Glen Finnan providing manpower and equipment to support mining and civil projects across the Hunter Valley. Blackrock Industries was born and from that came Dreampath Recruitment and then 'Second Chance for Change' helping incarcerated men find full time work and many other community projects.

Steve has become a leader for the mining community, fighting for what the community deserves.

Jess sat down with Steve for this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!

In this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, Jess chats with Martin Richardson, the National Sales Manager for Truflo Pumps.

Martin has been around the industry for many years, jumping in the deep end from the moment he joined the team. He's had the opportunity to travel overseas and solve pumping problems at mines across Australia and overseas.

Enjoy this episode of Digging Deeper, we're sure you're pumped to hear about Martin's career!

Please leave us a rating and review wherever you're listening.

If you live in Central Queensland you know exactly who CapRescue is. The Service provides lifesaving, around-the-clock aeromedical care — at no cost to patients — where and when it’s needed most.

The mining industry, like us, are big supporters of CapRescue and on Episode 14 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface we take a deep dive into what it's like to be in the helicopter providing the care, working for the Service and supporting it.

Air Crew Officer Alan Griffiths, Communications and Engagement Officer Kim Walters and Community Relations Coordinator Tracey Snedden join Jess for this episode.

Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!