Martin Feld  0:10 
Hello, and welcome to Voices of BlueScope, the podcast where we go behind the scenes at BlueScope to meet the people who create strength every day. I'm your host Martin Feld; thank you for listening. In this episode, we're featuring an interview with Kaitlyn McMahon, a fourth-year apprentice with Zeal Futures and BlueScope in Port Kembla, Australia. Recorded in the coke-making section of the steelworks, Kaitlyn shares her journey to undertaking an apprenticeship and explains the numerous extracurricular opportunities that she has pursued, both for her own professional development and to raise awareness of people working in non-traditional roles, particularly women in manufacturing. All of this is set against the backdrop of her own diagnosis of autism as an adult, which, whilst not expressed in detail here, is mentioned subtly as a significant personal challenge that framed the beginning of her apprenticeship and contextualises her subsequent achievements. Let's cross to her interview now. In the background, you'll hear the ambient noise of the coke-making plant.

Kaitlyn McMahon  1:19 
I'm actually originally from Melbourne, and my whole background has been heavy-labouring trade backgrounds. This is my first actual proper have-a-go at a trade. So my background is mostly in rail maintenance in Melbourne. If anyone actually knows, but Puffing Billy, the tourist railway that runs through the Dandenongs. I was one of the first female hires and I actually got to maintain that railway. And growing up there as a kid, going on the train, seeing all the amazing sights and scenes and then actually being able to maintain that—that was my first proper experience in, I guess, a bit more of a, a non-normal job.

Kaitlyn McMahon  1:59 
And then I was lucky enough to be able to get a job through... with Kenworth building trucks, and that was pretty cool. That was my first proper factory job and that was a completely different eye-opener, being able to build something that you see on the road every day and being part of that. That was pretty cool, too. And then now here in BlueScope, and that's something completely different again! And I don't know, like it's just... it's just a different feel. This is probably the first job that I've really felt like it's me. I'm a part of something so much bigger. The opportunities here are endless. I don't know... it makes me feel like I'm at home.

Martin Feld  2:42 
That's fantastic, and you've covered so much in just one first response!

Kaitlyn McMahon  2:46 
Just a little, just a little fraction!

Martin Feld  2:48 
Wow! And going back to that early time you mentioned about trains, you gave a hint of it about contributing to something, making things that you could see out in real life or on the road.

Kaitlyn McMahon  2:57 
Yep.

Martin Feld  2:57 
What was it about trains that captured your interest at that earlier age? Seeing those things puffing around...

Kaitlyn McMahon  3:03 
I think, like, when you, like, when you think of, like, tourist railway as a kid, it's exciting, you know, just going through the, the rainforest. It's something so nostalgic about it... having your feet off the edge, going through the Dandenongs... and then, I think every kid has a little bit of an obsession with trains and just something so cool, you know? Going on the train to the city, it's just something... that kind of that nostalgic feeling that brings happy joy and memories. And then, yeah, like, I said, that, that was my dream job working on that railway that I had so many incredible memories going up with. There's no real words to put into that.

Martin Feld  3:44 
Excellent! So, what was it that prompted the move interstate to somewhere like Wollongong, working in Port Kembla? What attracted you to working here through an apprenticeship specifically?

Kaitlyn McMahon  3:55 
I didn't even know anything about Wollongong. My partner was, was from... is from Wollongong, and we met through COVID while I was in Melbourne and then after everything kind of happened, it was just, like, *We want something different*. And I wanted a trade, I wanted to do something more for myself. I wanted security, and Wollongong just happened to be there—the right opportunity and BlueScope—and I actually came here originally doing rail maintenance with Ventia, and then that sparked me just being around different trades and just seeing what other opportunities were in BlueScope for me. And then I just took it, took it by chance that I was like, *I think I really want to have a go at challenging myself electrically*, and that's what sparked the apprenticeship. That's what sparked everything and now I'm here!

Martin Feld  4:49 
And of course, now you're in your fourth year. Is that correct?

Kaitlyn McMahon  4:49 
Yep. So, I'm in my fourth year. I never would have thought that I would've... this would be where I'm standing. And I never thought that I was even going to complete my apprenticeship. My whole, I guess, beginning of the apprenticeship was a little bit turbulent, not... didn't really go to plan. A lot of things happened, I guess, in my personal life that made me really question my decision, made it a little bit more challenging for myself. But I'm glad I really did stick it out because the opportunities that I've had here have really changed my life.

Martin Feld  5:29 
Well, thank you for sharing that personal element. It's great that you were able to overcome that more challenging period. What was it like coming through (not only with BlueScope, but) Zeal Futures? Because Zeal Futures, they're really managing that apprenticeship side, aren't they?

Kaitlyn McMahon  5:43 
Yeah. So, it doesn't really feel like there's two kind of entities looking after me. It almost just feels like one big, supportive, I guess, group. Zeal's very incorporated into BlueScope, and BlueScope's very incorporated into Zeal. And the immense amount of support, encouragement... whenever, you know, I start doubting myself, or just even, just like little struggles, they're only a phone call away. And they're, no matter what time of day, everyone's just been really supportive and happy. Any opportunity that I have for growth or to challenge myself, they're always there!

Martin Feld  6:25 
So now that you're well and truly into the apprenticeship, what are some of the things that you've been able to learn? What have your daily tasks been? What sites have you seen? Can you give us an idea of the variety of those things where you've been taken through?

Kaitlyn McMahon  6:37 
Luckily for BlueScope, there is an immense amount of opportunities and sites and different, like, things to learn with. So, in my first year, I was down at electrical services, so I had motor-shop and high-voltage—two completely different things. And I got to see all around BlueScope because you travel around, you get to do maintenance, you get to do a little bit of everything; and then, that's what kind of sparked my interest in different areas because I got to go around and see different things.

Kaitlyn McMahon  7:00 
So then, after that, I got to go to the sinter plant, which is like the raw-material side of things, and that was incredible, like breakdowns... really being able to challenge myself physically, mentally, just really seeing what I was capable of... and then stopping the red dust for the black dust here at the coke ovens—very transferable skills, but completely different equipment. And then again, I'm challenging myself here because I've been luckily enough in my fourth year to be offered an equipment-specialist job, so not so heavy on the tools, but more challenge myself mentally and seeing a bit more of a technical skill and being able to hone in on that is, is an incredible opportunity not just for anyone, but like me as an apprentice, I... just to be given that opportunity has been incredible.

Martin Feld  8:02 
And you mentioned that we're currently at the coke ovens.

Kaitlyn McMahon  8:05 
Yep!

Martin Feld  8:05 
That's where we're recording today. That's where you're based in your current part of your apprenticeship.

Kaitlyn McMahon  8:09 
Yep.

Martin Feld  8:09 
What happens at the coke ovens? What does coke-making mean to those who have never seen it or are uninitiated?

Kaitlyn McMahon  8:15 
Oh, that's a hard question for me to answer! Like, I'm still trying to learn the process! It's, it's such a complicated process. Like, you've got the oven tops, you've got the batteries. We go down to coal-handling, which is where I kind of originally started when I came to coke-making. They pulverise the coal, it comes in (it gets imported), we export through trains and everything like that, and then it gets moved through conveyor belts to here, and then we have like raw gas that comes through the coke ovens, and then that gets transported out through BlueScope and then we cook everything...

Martin Feld  8:49 
So, it's fair to say, as you said, that it's a complicated early part in the process that then flows on to iron-making and then steel-making.

Kaitlyn McMahon  8:56 
Yep, so we go, like, most of our stuff goes through to the blast furnace and feeds the blast furnace, and we've got coke plant one as well, over the other side. That helps in those processes, and then everything just travels throughout. And we've got the sinter plant that goes into the blend that then goes into the steel that we see.

Martin Feld  9:13 
Now, beyond your apprenticeship and the processes and skills that you've learnt here, I understand that you've also had some other opportunities to talk about and put your apprenticeship into action. What are the things that are kind of extracurricular that you've been able to do as apprenticeship programmes and spreading awareness?

Kaitlyn McMahon  9:29 
Yeah, so with Zeal, there's a female-in-trade mentoring programme that I've been lucky enough to be a part of, and that's the Rise programme. And it's, a lot of it is just creating an environment and a group of women all through Australia—different traits, different backgrounds—and being able to, I guess, collaborate, mentor. It's more of, like, I'm a mentee, but we're all mentoring each other. We're all learning from each other and within that programme, I was lucky enough to be invited to Uluru at the NAEN Conference in 2026. And I got to sit down on a panel and talk about women's culture in, in industry, and that's something that I'm very passionate about. And it was an incredible experience seeing so many powerful people in the industry coming together for a common, common goal of wanting better for everyone, and a good key thing that came out of that was it's not just about women in trade and trying to be better for women... change happens, and that benefits everyone. It's a better workplace, better environment. That doesn't just benefit me; it benefits everyone. Everyone gets to come to work supported; everyone gets to come and be happy to be here. We're all wanting to uplift each other, and that's what I'm so grateful that I get to be a part of, is to help that change and be a part of that.

Martin Feld  10:58 
And so unbelievable that it was at a place like Uluru! Had you been there before?

Kaitlyn McMahon  11:02 
I've never been there, and honestly, it felt like I was in a dream state. It's such an incredible place of the, of our country, and I just felt so grounded and inspired, and you just feel, just instant calm (at peace) there. It's just so many, like, incredible scenery, and the people there are like so friendly, and yeah, I think everyone needs to go at least once.

Martin Feld  11:29 
That's very cool. Any further events or initiatives that you've been a part of?

Kaitlyn McMahon  11:34 
I've got an event coming up, going to Canberra, and we have a, like, a big group summit. So, with this mentoring programme, there's I think about 30 of us that we all get together—and all of our mentors that we've gone over the last nine months with—we all get together and we actually get to see each other face to face because we're all in different parts of Australia, and we're going to be collaborating. I don't know fully what... they haven't really given too much away about the whole summit, but I'm just so grateful that I get to meet everyone in person, and yeah, it's going to be fun. I'm excited!

Martin Feld  12:07 
That's excellent. You've given so much in this interview and hinted so many things that are important not only to women but apprentices at large, people who might want to pursue this. Is there anything that I haven't asked you that you would like to talk about as we wrap this up, or something that you would like to say to people who are listening right now, who might be thinking about pursuing something like this, but have their doubts?

Kaitlyn McMahon  12:27 
I would say, 'Don't listen to the doubt'. You really don't know what you're capable of until you really get in there and have a go. It might seem scary, the little doubt creeps in, but it's so rewarding being able to challenge yourself, and then... if I can do it, anyone can do it. Like, I always say that I'm the product of what amazing support, and I like to think that I'm extremely determined (and stubborn, at times)! But when you really apply yourself, anything can be achieved, and I just think everyone just needs to back themselves and really just take it on. What have you got to lose?

Martin Feld  13:12 
Beautifully said! Well, thank you so much for sparing time for this conversation, Kaitlyn, and showing us around coke-making today.

Kaitlyn McMahon  13:14 
Appreciate it! Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Martin Feld  13:26 
We hope that you enjoyed Kaitlyn's interview, and we thank her again for sharing her personal story so generously here on the podcast. If you'd like to learn more, please visit the links and show notes in your browser or podcast app. For example, you'll find a shorter video version of this interview in our Faces of BlueScope series on TVBlueScope, along with links to earlier podcast episodes that address the topic of apprenticeship. Thank you, as always, for following us here on the Voices of BlueScope podcast. We appreciate your support and look forward to having you again soon.