Apprentices urged to follow their dreams

Apprentices from across Alcoa’s Western Australian operations celebrated the culmination of four years of training and hard work at the 2023 graduation ceremony.

The 30 graduates from across Alcoa’s two bauxite mines and three refineries have gained nationally accredited trade qualifications in various vocations including fabrication, mechanical fitting, electrical instrumentation, and heavy diesel mechanics.

The graduation ceremony and awards night was held in Mandurah on 17 November 2023, bringing together the cohort who started their journeys in 2020.

Alcoa Australia President Matt Reed congratulated the graduating apprentices on their commitment and encouraged everyone to trust in their decisions.

“The onus is on Alcoa to provide you with the encouragement, opportunities and inspiration to stay with us or come back to us – as many people do,” Mr Reed said.

“But I really urge you to follow your dreams, wherever they may take you, and when you’re ready to come back, we aim to be here to welcome you.”

Since commencing operations in Western Australia in 1963, Alcoa has trained and developed more than 2,600 apprentices, trainees and graduates across a range of specialisations.

Site managers presented Apprentice of the Year, and Safety awards to the most outstanding performers from each location.

2023 Apprentices of the Year

• Huntly Mine: Jarad Burrell (Heavy Diesel Mechanic)
• Willowdale Mine: Bailey Eynon (Heavy Diesel Mechanic)
• Kwinana Refinery: Neesh Truscott (Mechanical Fitter)
• Pinjarra Refinery: Brayden Watson (Electrical Instrumentation)
• Wagerup Refinery: Shayla Katona (Fabrication)

2023 Safety Awards

• Huntly Mine: Josh Jovanovic (Mechanical Fitter)
• Willowdale Mine: Nathan Storey (Electrical Instrumentation)
• Kwinana Refinery: Marcus Davies (Mechanical Fitter)
• Pinjarra Refinery: Gypsie Jacob (Electrical Instrumentation)
• Wagerup Refinery: Dean Storer (Electrical Instrumentation)