Dec 10, 2019
Fortescue Metals
Group’s (Fortescue) innovative Aboriginal apprenticeship program Trade Up has
celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort of participants.
Established in
2015, the program provides Aboriginal and female team members with an
accredited pathway to an apprenticeship and sustainable career development in
collaboration with key contracting partners. There are currently 122
participants completing the training.
At a ceremony
today, nine participants from the inaugural intake joined 15 other apprentices
in celebrating the completion of their apprenticeship and successfully gaining
permanent employment with Fortescue.
Speaking at the
graduation, Fortescue Founder and Chairman Andrew Forrest AO said, “From the
outset, it has been Fortescue’s vision to help break down the social barriers
that prohibit so many Aboriginal people from gaining employment.
“Trade Up builds
on our pioneering Vocational Training and Employment Centre program which
provides a guaranteed job after training, giving Aboriginal team members the
motivation and confidence to stand on their own two feet and this can be truly
life changing.”
Chief Executive
Officer Elizabeth Gaines said, “Training is at the heart of everything we do at
Fortescue, as it is the building block to driving sustainable change in
people’s lives, careers and communities.
“With women
making up 25 per cent of participants in Fortescue’s Trade Up, we are
particularly proud to be building a pipeline of women ready to pursue a trades
career and contribute to the success of Australia’s mining industry.
“We would like to
thank our contracting partners for helping to ensure the success of the
program, providing opportunities to work in a range of businesses and trades.
Together, we have set a new benchmark for industry-led Aboriginal
apprenticeship schemes.”
Graduate Jade
Wilson said, “Fortescue’s Trade Up program has given me a chance to pursue a
career that I would not have even considered as a high school student.
Completing this apprenticeship has shown me my passion and has allowed me to
learn how to grow as a person. This means a lot not just for me, but also for
my family.”
This year,
Fortescue also launched its apprentice awards, recognising apprentices across
three categories – Fortescue Apprentice of the Year, Fortescue’s Trade Up
Apprentice High Achiever and the Trade Training Centre Apprentice Training
Award.
Apprentice of the
Year recipient Jordan Wells said, “I could not be more grateful for the
opportunity to become a qualified tradesperson and to now step up into a
leadership role as a supervisor. The best part of the apprenticeship was the
opportunity to work in a range of areas at different sites and to meet new
people, which meant we were always learning new and better ways to work.”