A COAL & Allied employee has been recognised as the most outstanding apprentice in Australia by national training provider SKILLED.
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Mount Thorley Warkworth’s Simone Marskell won the 2014 Apprentice of the Year award for outstanding achievement in safety leadership, teamwork, high performance and community.
She completed her apprenticeship with a Certificate III in Electrotechnology in September last year and secured a full-time position at Coal & Allied’s Mount Thorley Warkworth open cut coal mine shortly afterwards.
“I was overwhelmed to win such a prestigious award,” Ms Marskell said.
“I’m grateful that SKILLED and Coal & Allied’s apprenticeship program gave me the technical knowledge and practical experience to help me secure a job at Mount Thorley Warkworth.”
Ms Marskell was raised in the small mining town of Tom Price in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and relocated to the Hunter Valley about eight years ago, finishing her schooling at Hunter Valley Grammar School.
Eager to learn a trade, with both her brother and fiance pursing trade careers as well, the Singleton resident began her apprenticeship with SKILLED and Coal & Allied in 2010.
Her four-year electrical apprenticeship included a six-month study period at the Hunter Institute Muswellbrook Mining Industry Skills Centre as well as hands on experience at Coal & Allied’s Hunter Valley Operations and Mount Thorley Warkworth open cut coal mines.
Shortly after completing her apprenticeship, Ms Marskell secured a role in the maintenance team at Mount Thorley Warkworth doing mobile equipment servicing and maintaining mobile gear like trucks, graders and dozers.
Throughout her apprenticeship and still today, she pursues her passion to advocate for women in trades.
“I think the key to seeing more women in trades is education so I’ve taken every opportunity to speak with young women at Coal & Allied’s career days and high school events,” she said.
“I hope that with this award, I can continue to share my experiences and encourage more women to try a trade.”
Mount Thorley Warkworth general manager operations Mark Rodgers said the company was pleased to see Ms Marskell’s success recognised by their training partners SKILLED.
“Coal & Allied is proud that our apprenticeship program provides young people like Simone with a great start in the mining industry and a pathway to full-time employment,” he said.
“It allows us to tap into a pool of talented workers and build capacity in the Hunter Valley.
“It is just one of the ways Coal & Allied is committed to providing employment opportunities for young people in the region.”