By Kim Morrison, Chief Technical Officer, ATC Williams
One of the pillars I have consistently highlighted in this column is Technical Excellence. Rather than an abstract value, Technical Excellence is an area that we actively invest in, nurture, and embed across our organisation. Over the past year, that commitment has made a very tangible step forward through ATC University (ATCU).
ATCU focuses on building deep, enduring technical capability within ATC Williams (ATCW). Designed to support our people through every stage of their careers, ATCW offers structured learning pathways that connect theory, industry guidance, and real‑world application. At its core, ATCU reflects a simple belief: that the quality of outcomes we deliver for our clients is directly linked to the strength, confidence, and judgement of our people.
Responsible Tailings Management 101 – Melbourne Workshop
A flagship example of this approach was the Responsible Tailings Management 101 three‑day workshop held in Melbourne in January 2026. The workshop brought together 42 professionals for an intensive and immersive learning experience. This program represents a flagship ATCU course delivered at scale, building on the suite of offerings already delivered, and setting the benchmark for what we aim to achieve as these courses become an annual and enduring part of our capability development framework.
The course was developed under my leadership and facilitated by me as CTO, drawing on the SME Tailings Management Handbook: A Lifecycle Approach, which I had the privilege of editing with contributions from more than 100 global authors and reviewers. The handbook embodies a lifecycle philosophy, recognising tailings management as an integrated system covering governance, design, operations, risk management, closure, and long-term stewardship. This same philosophy underpinned the workshop content.
Building a collaborative facilitation model
Importantly, the course was supported by fifteen internal presenters from our staff, each bringing depth in their specialist areas to explore topics in greater detail to ground the learning in ATCW’s practical experience. This collaborative model allowed participants to engage with global good practice while exploring how those principles are applied day‑to‑day across our projects.
The result was a program that combined foundational knowledge with hands‑on application, technical discussion, and open dialogue, which is exactly the type of learning environment we aim to foster at ATCW.
Investing in our future
Forty-five years ago, ATC Williams was originally established as Australian Tailings Consultants, and responsible tailings management has been at the core of our work since the very beginning. As such, tailings management is not a peripheral capability for ATCW; it is foundational to who we are.
While the scope of our services has expanded significantly since then, our technical DNA remains firmly grounded in tailings. That heritage brings with it both responsibility and opportunity. As expectations around tailings governance, risk management, and lifecycle accountability continue to rise, it is essential that we continually invest in the depth and consistency of our technical capability.
This is precisely why initiatives like ATCU and programs such as Responsible Tailings Management 101 matter. They are a deliberate reinforcement of the expertise on which this company was founded. By building strong lifecycle understanding, sound professional judgement, and shared technical language across our teams, we are ensuring that our people are equipped to uphold and advance the standards associated with the ATCW name.
In doing so, we strengthen our individual capability, along with the collective confidence our clients place in us to deliver safe, defensible, and responsible tailings outcomes.
Expanding reach through repeat delivery
Building on the success of the Melbourne workshop, we are continuing the delivery of Responsible Tailings Management 101 later this year, to broaden its reach and accessibility across the business:
- A three‑day workshop in Brisbane from 2–4 June.
- A condensed one‑day workshop in Newcastle on 16 July, focused on key lifecycle concepts and practical application.
These repeat offerings reflect our intent to embed this course as a core part of the ATCU program, enabling more of our people to access consistent lifecycle‑based training while maintaining a high standard of technical depth and practical relevance.
ATCU is developing future leaders
ATCU has quickly evolved into a dynamic and growing platform for technical development, reflecting both the depth of expertise within ATCW and the strong appetite for structured, high‑quality learning across the business.
In only a few months, ATCU has already delivered a diverse range of offerings, including a Tailings Engineer of Record (EoR) workshop and two geotechnical investigation and integrated drilling workshops, each designed to strengthen capability across career stages and disciplines.
Further courses will focus on practical field‑based training and core areas of our practice. Upcoming programs, including field training workshops, will be delivered in Melbourne and on the Sunshine Coast in April. These underscore our commitment to blending classroom learning with real‑world application.
Looking ahead, ATCU will remain a central mechanism for how we build knowledge, share experience, and reinforce consistent technical standards across the organisation. As the range of offerings expands, we are better able to support our people in developing the judgment, confidence, and lifecycle understanding required to deliver safe, responsible, and technically robust outcomes.
In this way, ATCU is an investment in the long-term strength, credibility, and sustainability of our technical practice and in the development of our people as future leaders.
From governance to practical application, see how our team is advancing Responsible Tailings Management.
Watch the ATCU Responsible Tailings Management 101 workshop wrap-up here.