Premier Coal keeps up flow of apprentices

Premier Coal has employed two new bright sparks to its apprenticeship cohort for 2017, welcoming in the New Year by continuing to support talent in the region.

General manager Glenn Burlinson said the company focused of supporting and training initiatives for young people in Collie.

He said Brayden Dalton, Connor Stallard and Jac Hollins would start their apprenticeships with Premier Coal today and would join 13 other apprentices.

The trio all have connections to the mining industry, with each of their fathers having created strong links to the mining sector.

Mr Stallard will follow in his father, Glen Stallard’s footsteps, after he did an apprenticeship at a near-by coal-fired power station 30 years ago.

“I just can’t wait to get down in that pit and start working on one of those shovels,” Mr Stallard said.

Mr Dalton who will do a welder/fabrication apprenticeship has been brought up in a mining family with his father David who has been a fitter in the Collie coal mining industry for 26 years.

Mr Hollins has a strong link thanks to his father Michael who has been an operator at the mine for 35 years.

Mr Burlinson said Premier Coal had a workforce of more than 400 people, of which 70 per cent lived in the Collie area.

In addition to the new apprentices, the company has supported Collie teenager John Dowey by awarding him with the JA Ellis Scholarship towards university studies.

Mr Dowey said the $3000 scholarship would support his plans to move to Perth to study a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in engineering science and finance at the University of Western Australia.