Trainees are on track for mine careers
Ten young Aboriginal men who have completed part of a civil construction planning course are about to be trained as dump truck drivers so they can work in open pit mines.
Trainer Malcolm Whitby said it was all about giving indigenous people a fair go in training.
“We are here to show potential clients these guys can be trained,” he said.
“Lend Lease are interested in employing more indigenous people, and we are talking to Main Roads about securing more jobs down the track and trying to get more indigenous people into the workplace.”
As an Aboriginal man with a long involvement in mining Mr
Whitby said he was an example to the trainees that they could have the same career.
He said he had revived his old business Kajarinya Pty Ltd, which he ran for 10 years in the Pilbara
before going on to work as a mine manager and superintendent.
“We saw the need for more indigenous training, so now we are back into training,” he said.
Advanced Personnel Management
contracted Mr Whitby to deliver the training, and business manager Ricky Cox said he was pleased with the trainees.
“We are super proud of the boys who have come along and their
demeanour from when they started to now they have completed the course,” he said.
“They have more faith in themselves and more confidence to deal with people.”