A TOTAL of 37 new apprentices have kicked off their careers with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables.
Of these, five apprentices are based at the Proserpine Mill, training in the electrical, boilermaking and fitting and turning trades.
Wilmar Sugar and Renewables Training Superintendent Daniel Shipard said he was pleased to welcome such a high calibre group of first-year apprentices into the business.
“Wilmar Sugar and Renewables has a long history of developing great tradespeople in our sugar milling regions,” Mr Shipard said.
“We’re one of North Queensland’s largest apprenticeship providers, with about 150 apprentices employed across our operations at any one time.
“Our program is also one of the most successful in Australia, with a completion rate of 98 per cent.”
Mr Shipard said this year’s intake included five young women, one of whom had transitioned from a school-based apprenticeship with the company.
“We’ve also signed up five seasonal employees, who were keen to get into our apprenticeship program and learn a trade,” he said.
Brooke Smith, from the Burdekin, was Wilmar’s first school-based apprentice and is now enrolled as an apprentice boilermaker at Pioneer Mill.
She said she was excited to be working full time and developing her trade skills.
“Getting into Wilmar’s apprenticeship program means I’m finally going to get more experience and get more involved in what goes on in the workshops,” she said.
“It also means I can really be part of the Wilmar business, instead of just being there one day a week.”
First-year electrical apprentice Cody Masters said an apprenticeship with Wilmar meant being able to learn on the job, while living in his hometown of Ingham.
“It means I get to go home to mum and dad’s cane farm and still get to give back to the community,” he said.
Mr Shipard said the first-year apprentices kicked off their trade training with a two-week ‘Safe Start’ program, in December, before beginning work at their respective sites.
“Our Safe Start program equips our apprentices to hit the ground running,” Mr Shipard said.
“It’s a comprehensive introduction that gives them important safety and technical skills, as well as the confidence to thrive in their new roles.”
PHOTO:
Wilmar Sugar and Renewables new Proserpine apprentices, from left: Will Flynn (boiler making), Tyson Austin (electrical), Jack Scharf (boiler making), Thomas Raiteri (fitting and turning), and Will Muller (fitting and turning).
