Australias gold sector is of fundamental importance to our economy. It is the nations fourth largest export industry with over $20 billion in export value in 2017/18, providing jobs (directly and indirectly) to over 55,000 Australians. However, Australias gold mining future and indeed the future of our mining sector in general, is under threat with Australian students turning away from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects at alarming rates. With an estimated 75 per cent of the fast-growing occupations requiring STEM skills, the reality is Australian students are ill-prepared for future careers in our resources sector. Furthermore, our resources industry, the lifeblood of Australias economy is under serious threat of a generational skills shortage with an increasing disparity between the needs of the industry and skills taught at Australias educational institutions. Something needs to be done now to correct this worrying trend. Federal and state governments via school STEM initiatives are working to do their part by providing significant funding to support a range of education projects. However, the role of engaging students to take up STEM subjects is not solely limited to the government. We as an industry, need to do something to stop the flow of students out of these subjects and help build the gold miners of tomorrow. In his presentation, Regis Resources Managing Director Jim Beyer will expand upon the importance of Australias gold sector to the economy, the looming skills shortage as a result of Australian students turning away from STEM subjects, as well as initiatives the resources sector is employing (and needs to employ) to ensure Australia remains the clever country for generations to come. *This is an abstract only. No full paper was prepared for this abstract.* CITATION:Beyer, J, 2019. Securing Australias golden future, in Proceedings MetPlant 2019, p 3 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).