Australia: Santos GLNG Recognised for Regional Training

The spotlight is once again shining on Santos as an employer of choice with the business nominated in the regional finals for the 52nd Queensland Training Awards.

Last year Santos won the Premier’s Industry Collaboration Award in the state finals and is in the running this year for ‘Large Employer of the Year’ with the metropolitan winner to be announced at an awards night in Brisbane tomorrow.

Santos GLNG Vice President Queensland Trevor Brown said Santos had worked hard to become a world-class employer, offering its workforce career development through opportunities that improve skill sets.

“In Queensland, the Santos GLNG Project has committed around $25 million to training initiatives including school-based traineeships, apprenticeships and cadetships,” Mr Brown said.

“We take pride in the skills and training that we’re building in regional communities providing over 115 apprentices and traineeship opportunities across a number of business areas including plant operations, civil construction, instrumentation and horticulture.”

“By investing in apprentices and trainees, Santos GLNG is ensuring we not only have a highly skilled labour force but we’re creating opportunities for young regionally based people to gain fulfilling work opportunities.”

Santos GLNG Diesel Mechanic Apprentice Jesse Johnston is also an awards finalist, in the running for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year for the Darling Downs region.

Santos GLNG Aboriginal Employment Adviser Che Cockatoo-Collins said Jesse, who was awarded Manufacturing Skills Queensland Indigenous Student of the Year in May, will find out if he’s a winner this Saturday at the Toowoomba awards event.

“The school-based traineeship program that Jesse was involved in aims to empower local Indigenous students to build new skills as they complete their schooling,” Mr Cockatoo-Collins said.

“Jesse is a great example of what young Indigenous students can achieve and he is already applying the skills he has learnt to mentor other young Indigenous trainees.”

To date, the Santos GLNG Project has created 250 training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including school-based traineeships, apprenticeship and cadetships in the areas in which the project operates.

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LNG World News Staff, August 1, 2013; Image: Santos