Saturday, May 7th, 2011
Fitzroy Crossing: Mechanic ’still waiting’ for Pilbara mine job
by Geoff Vivian
Andre Skeen
Andre Skeen is disappointed he was left out of an employment scheme at a Fortescue Metals Pilbara mine.
Mr Skeen, who served his mechanic’s apprenticehip in Broome, said he left a secure job with a Broome garage and returned to his Fitzroy Crossing home believing he would be given a fly-in, fly-out job with a contract miner.
“I gave them a resume and trade certificate and they never got back to me – it has been a month and a half and I’m still waiting,” he said.
He said the Aboriginal recruiter for the mining contractor, EDI Downer, had been very encouraging when he heard of the trade certificate.
“At first they (the contractor) sounded pretty promising – they said we can get you in pretty quick,” he said.
“(Since then) every time I ring (the contractor) it is ‘we will give you a call back next week’,” said Mr Skeen.
He said the second intake of unskilled workers recruited and trained in Fitzroy Crossing is due to start work in a Pilbara mine next week.
He said they will be employed as dump truck drivers.
“That is what they start off as,” he said.
Mr Skeen, who is already a qualified mechanic, said he had not applied for one of the traineeships because he wants to further his trade skills working on heavy machinery.
“At the moment I am just desperate to get back to work again,” he said.
“I prefer to get out on the mine, get out of town and further my trade but I am not going to give up, there’s plenty of mines out there.”
The employment and training program at Fitzroy Crossing is part of a scheme promoted by Fortescue Metals head Andrew Forrest to employee more Aboriginal workers.
The coordinator at Fitzroy Crossing Men’s Shed, which hosted the training, said 11 trainees had already been employed last year and a further 13 are graduating today under the scheme.
“Both groups have completed a Certificate III in Civil Construction,” said Heath Sanderson.
A Certificate III is a qualification that requires considerably less study and assessment than Mr Skeen’s trade qualification.
Mr Sanderson said all of the trainees will be employees of Downer EDI at Fortescue Metals’ Christmas Creek minesite in the Pilbara.
A Fortescue Metals spokesperson said she had no knowledge of Mr Skeen’s application, and suggested he apply for a job through Fortescue’s website.
KimberleyPage made several attempts to contact Downer EDI’s Superintendant of Aboriginal Affairs on Thursday and Friday.
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