Apprentice partnership getting results

A young Beagle Bay man employed at the Shire of Broome as an apprentice Light Vehicle Mechanic has graduated with flying colours.

The apprenticeship was funded by Rio Tinto through an apprentice incubation program designed to support the career aspirations of youth in regional locations like Broome and the Dampier Peninsula where the resource company has a significant employment base.

Jason Bin Jalil successfully completed the Cert III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology Apprenticeship training and with his apprenticeship completed, he’s taken on a role at the Djarindjin mechanical workshop.

Jason says he’s thankful to Rio Tinto and the Shire for the opportunity.

“Coming from a small community on the Dampier Peninsula we rarely get apprenticeship opportunities and there are only a select few who are fully qualified tradespeople here. Being a qualified mechanic means so much to me and my family,” he says.

Rio Tinto’s Jo-Anne Shiosaki says the company has been providing employment opportunities in Broome and the Dampier Peninsula for the past 10 years.

“This program is another opportunity to give back to the community by providing career and skilled pathways for young people,” she says.

This is the second community investment partnership Rio Tinto has with the Shire of Broome, with the Youth Development Officer partnership renewed for a further three years.