Thursday, January 11, 2024

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Local Apprentices Signed On At Mill

Our local Proserpine Mill has signed on six new apprentices, as part of 34 across the eight Wilmar Sugar and Renewables Queensland sugar mills.

The new apprentices completed their two-week Safe Start program in January, before they began their work at their representative sugar mills.

Training Superintendent Daniel Shipard said the two-week Safe Start program prepared the new apprentices for what life would be like in Wilmar’s mills.

“It’s about getting them to understand Wilmar’s safety requirements and procedures, as well as giving them the basic skillset they require to enter their relevant workshops,” Daniel said.

Proserpine’s own Jayme Farr has signed on as an electrical apprentice at the Proserpine Mill, and she said she was thrilled to be doing her trade training in her home town.

“My family has been living in Proserpine since my father was 16 years old and, for over three generations now, we’ve been breeding horses on our family farm,” Jayme said.

“Being able to do my apprenticeship at Proserpine Mill means that I can be home every afternoon to spend time working on the farm with my family and compete in camp drafts with my friends on the weekends.”

Daniel said he was excited to bring the newest intake of apprentices into Wilmar’s operations, across the key trades of electrical, fitting and turning, boiler making and diesel fitting.

“They’re going to be a huge asset to our organisation, and we can’t wait to see them grow over the next four years of their apprenticeship.”

Wilmar’s new apprentices, with Proserpine’s own, Jayme Farr in the front row, sixth from left, in the middle. Photo supplied

In other news