Queensland’s mining industry has 10 new apprentices and trainees after participants graduated from MMG Century’s revamped Indigenous pre-employment program.
The revamped program now focuses more on helping participants to enhance their life skills and knowledge in addition to providing foundation safety and mining training.
Community and Stakeholder Relations Superintendent Shane Yanner said that the revamped program acknowledged that for young people to be successful in the workforce, they needed to have well-rounded life skills.
“Over the years, we’ve found that our most successful trainees and apprentices have good social and emotional skills as well as a commitment to learn and interest in their field of study.
“To support our kids to gain or enhance essential life skills, they now spend their first four weeks of Century’s pre-employment course at Beyond Billabong, a self-development program for Indigenous youth.
“They also attended Putting Youth in the Picture sessions by the program’s co-founder Adair Donaldson.
These sessions teach young people about the pitfalls and consequences of decisions about alcohol and violence and give them the tools to make the right choices.
“Finally, we’ve also put more focus on helping the participants to learn about budgeting, sexual health and driving safely.”
The basics of the program – safety and first aid training and components of a Certificate II in Engineering – remain the same.
The graduates of this course – Century’s third Indigenous pre-employment program in 2011 – have chosen to move into a range of fields, including warehousing, safety and health and the mine’s heavy vehicle workshop and join 29 other apprentices and trainees who have started their careers at Century this year.
In total, the mine employs about 80 trainees and apprentices, including 11 at its Port facility at Karumba.
Century is planning to hold three Indigenous pre-employment programs in 2012 – providing opportunities for up to 45 local people to start their careers in mining.
Century is owned by Minerals and Metals Group (MMG). MMG is a member of the Minmetals Resources Limited (MMR) group of companies, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
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