VTEC
Fortescue’s Vocational Training and Employment (VTEC) program is driven by an immediate vision to train local Aboriginal people and help them on their journey towards sustainable employment. The longer term vision of VTEC is one of Aboriginal social and economic community sustainability and wellbeing. VTEC was established in 2006 and has since provided training, employment opportunities and support to over 1000 Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal people can experience a range of barriers to meaningful employment. Fortescue has established VTEC to help address these difficulties and provide the necessary tools for achieving sustainable employment. VTEC staff are available to both Fortescue employees and contractors to provide support, identify training needs, assist with family concerns and promote understanding of cultural factors which affect Aboriginal people in the workplace.
John Perry is a VTEC graduate and current employee of Fortescue. Prior to entering VTEC John was unemployed and unable to find work having lost his drivers licence.
John began his journey with Fortescue in 2008 and completed VTEC courses in building and construction, and through VTEC's in-house driver's licence program, John was successful in regaining his driver's licence. While waiting to re-qualify for his driver's licence, John worked as a landscaper for Fortescue's job-ready contracting service, VTEC Services, and landscaped a number of the houses built for Fortescue employees in Port Hedland. John now occupies one of those houses - he chose the one with the garden he liked the most. Since 2009 John has worked at the Herb Elliott Port at Port Hedland.
Within three years, John has gone from unemployed to operating key machinery at the Port which handles iron ore from the trains to the ships. John holds the world record for loading the most iron ore in a 12 hour shift through a single shiploader, being 125,497 tonnes. |
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