As part of the ongoing relationship Komatsu maintains with the Clontarf Foundation, Komatsu has showcased a newly built Komatsu Innovation Hub situated in Wacol that presents opportunities for young future leaders to learn about careers in both construction and mining.
A group of Year 9 and 10 future leaders were given access to the Komatsu Innovation Hub as part of their four-day camp across the Northern Rivers region of NSW, strengthening the company’s of the Clontarf Foundation.
The Clontarf Foundation is a non-profit organisation that assists in the education and employment of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and more broadly works to improve discipline, life skills and self-esteem.
The future leaders were joined by Komatsu’s senior talent acquisition consultant, Samantha Zanevra and national operations manager–East, Scott Alexander, alongside apprentice Andrew Stuart.
The students were encouraged to explore the machinery and technology on display, with comments attributed to the students of ‘marvelling’ at the scale and scope of the size of machinery required for mining operations.
Speaking on the interaction and engagement of the students, Alexander said that the future leaders asked lots of questions and learned about the importance of a workplace being connected and working towards a common goal.
“We have so many great opportunities that these boys can join us for in a few years’ time if they want,” Alexander said, “it’s important they can see and be inspired by the options that they can consider for their future.”
Komatsu was recently named the NSW Training Award for Large Employer of the Year, with the accolade bring largely attributed to Komatsu’s innovative focus on apprenticeship training through its Apprentice Development System program.
Similarly to the Clontarf Foundation’s approach, Komatsu equips apprentices and trainees with skills that go beyond the vocational training.
These skills include but are not limited to:
- mental health awareness,
- public speaking,
- road safety and fatigue management,
- drug and alcohol awareness, and;
- a variety of business skillsets.
The opportunities offered by Komatsu were of particular interest to the future leaders, Zanevra said, speaking on the Komatsu Innovation Hub and how it can b instrumental in providing chances for careers in young people.
“An apprenticeship with Komatsu is not your average apprentice training program,” Zanevra said, “some of the students who visited the facility are considering our industry once they leave school.”
“We hope this visit inspires students to consider a future career in mining or construction when they are finishing school. We know that experiences like this help encourage young people to imagine the possibilities for their future.”