Fortescue’s highly successful Vocational Training and Employment Centre program has marked 15 years of operations, training and recruiting more than 1000 Aboriginal people for full time jobs with the company.
Fortescue is one of Australia’s largest employers of Aboriginal people, representing 10 per cent of its total Australian workforce. Increasing Aboriginal employment rates is a deep and ongoing commitment for Fortescue. This important program will continue for many years to come.
Established by Fortescue Founder and Executive Chairman Dr Andrew Forrest AO in 2006, VTEC provides Aboriginal people with a guaranteed job at Fortescue as a result of their training provided by the company. The first cohort of 20 participants graduated in 2007.
Bunjima woman Kirrilee Lockyer successfully completed the VTEC program, before commencing as a Mining Operator Trainee. She credits VTEC with changing her life and helping to build her confidence and team building skills.
“I was inspired to apply for VTEC by my brother who has also completed the program. Watching him grow from a shy person who wasn’t sure of himself into the proud, confident man he is today, really showed me that this as something I could have too,” she said.
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