The iron ore miner has long been touting itself as a champion of Aboriginal employment. It has been running its Vocational Training and Employment Centre virtually from day one.
The Trade Up program is similar to an apprenticeship, although it has an additional 12 month traineeship where the candidate gets to work as a trades assistant in their particular area of interest.
Starting in October, up to 40 Aboriginal FMG employees will be chosen to start the 12-month traineeship.
The program is slated to become an annual one.
FMG contractors Downer, Goodline, Thiess, Indigenous Construction Resource Group, Guma, DVG, and the Eastern Guruma and Wirlu-murra Yindjibarndi Corporation will be taking part.
FMG CEO Nev Power said the company wanted to create an opportunity for its Aboriginal employees to progress.
“It’s about providing significant opportunities for these employees,” he said.
Power said the 12-month traineeship was a bit of a difference to other programs.
“It lets them learn a lot more about the trade they want to do,” he said.
“It gives them the opportunity if they want to change between trades.”
FMG’s direct employed workforce is 13% Aboriginal. About 1000 Aboriginal people work for FMG or its contractors.
The company’s VETC model of training for a guaranteed job has been adopted and rolled out as a national program by the federal government.
FMG’s Roeburne and Port Hedland VTECs have been accredited under the model.
The company’s Billion Opportunities program has awarded more than $1.8 billion in contract value to Aboriginal businesses and joint ventures.