Cory O’Shea knows how far an apprenticeship with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables can take you.

Cory scored a fitting and turning apprenticeship at Wilmar's Herbert sugar mills straight out of school, back in 2007, and is now Manager Operations at Proserpine Mill.

“I knew I wanted to do a trade, and Mum and Dad strongly encouraged me to try for an apprenticeship at the mill,” Cory said.

“I didn’t have a family connection to the mill, but I knew some people who worked there so I organised work experience at Victoria Mill in my own time while I was still at school and really liked it.”

Cory said that, as an apprentice, he was mentored by some of the most experienced tradesmen in the sugar industry.

“They were old-school tradies with so much knowledge,” he said.

“We had a really good cohort that year and many of us are still in the business – some on tools and others in supervisor or management roles.”

After completing his apprenticeship, Cory took a position as shift fitter at Macknade Mill in Ingham, where he went on to work his way up the ranks at both Macknade and Victoria mills.

“I moved to Proserpine in 2023 to be Manager Mechanical Engineering and then, this year, became Manager Operations.”

It's no surprise that Cory highly recommends an apprenticeship with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables.

“It can be the start of a life-long career in the sugar industry.  It opens doors and offers so many career opportunities.”

Applications for Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ 2026 apprenticeships close on Sunday, 27 July.

Find out more here: Apprenticeships - Wilmar Sugar