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Talented sisters kickstart their mining careers

13 January 2014
Talented sisters kickstart their mining careers

The new graduates, from left to right, Lorellee Pickering, Amanda Conlon, Patricia Shepherd, Anastasia Warren and Michelle Niki. (Photo supplied)


Five talented Indigenous women have launched careers in the mining industry with a little boost from ‘Sisters in Mining’, a Salvation Army’s Employment Plus initiative with mining contractor, Thiess.

The five women are Thiess’s newest trainees after graduating as trainee haul truck operators at Central Queensland's Lake Vermont coal mine and passing a pre-employment training schedule.

“This program has been designed to launch the careers of the women in the mining industry and we hope they will be an example to others,” says Thiess project manager, Colin Mulligan.

The hardworking graduates follow in the footsteps of ten Indigenous women from Rockhampton and the Blackwater region who graduated from the ‘Oothungs Sisters in Mining’ program last June.

Westfarmers Curragh was also instrumental in that partnership and employed four of the women, while six joined the Thiess team.

Thiess was so impressed with the success of the program, they decided to offer five more traineeships to Indigenous women when openings came up at the Vermont coal mine.

“Support from organisations like Thiess on programs like this is fantastic, and we are looking forward to see how these talented, motivated graduates progress from here,” says Kirrilee Trist, national marketing, media and communications manager at The Salvation Army Employment Plus.

The advancement of women in mining will continue to be high on the diversity agenda of all three program partners.

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The Salvation Army acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to elders both past and present.

The Salvation Army is committed to ensuring the provision of safe and inclusive environments for children, young people and vulnerable people where they feel respected, safe, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. The Salvation Army is a child safe organisation.