Year 11 student Brooke Smith has two different uniforms in her wardrobe – one for school and, the other, a set of hi-vis clothing and steel-cap boots for a Wilmar sugar mill.
As part of an initiative to build a diverse and talented workforce, Brooke has become Wilmar Sugar and Renewables' first school-based apprentice.
Since the start of the second semester, Brooke’s classroom every Thursday is the Pioneer Mill Centralised Workshop in the Burdekin region.
Training Superintendent Daniel Shipard said the inaugural school-based apprenticeship was another example of Wilmar’s commitment to youth training and development.
“We had a boilermaking apprenticeship still available from our 2023 recruitment drive and thought it would be good to use the position to trial a school-based apprenticeship,” he said.
“We approached Ayr State High School directly and targeted Year 11 students.”
“Candidates were put through a similar recruitment process to that undertaken by our full-time apprentices.”
Mr Shipard said Brooke’s part-time apprenticeship saw her attend Pioneer Mill one day a week and normal school for the rest of the week during school terms.
“When Brooke completes Year 12 next year, the intention is that she will roll straight into a full-time apprenticeship,” he said.
“Typically, a school-based apprenticeship equates to about six months of a full-time apprenticeship, so Brooke will have a good head start into her trade training by the time she finishes school.”
Brooke has long had aspirations of attaining a trade, with her original plan to become a fitter and turner like her Dad, Chris, who is also based at Pioneer Mill.
“When the chance to do a school-based boilermaking apprenticeship came up, I thought it was a great opportunity to try something new and learn different skills,” she said.
“I’m excited to be part of the Wilmar team.”
Brooke’s Mum, Casey, also works for Wilmar, as a loco driver at Pioneer Mill.
Mr Shipard said Brooke’s apprenticeship would be monitored closely, with a view to extending the program to Wilmar’s other milling regions in the future.
Wilmar Sugar and Renewables is one of Queensland’s largest apprenticeship providers. Its apprenticeship program is also one of the most successful in Australia, with an average completion rate of 98 per cent.
