Four Young Men Join Stockton Alliance

Four Young Westport Men Join Stockton Alliance As Apprentices

Stockton Alliance yesterday welcomed four new apprentices to its Ngakawau site in Buller. All four are Westport lads and spent their first day doing site inductions, meeting their modern apprenticeship coordinators and familiarising themselves with their new workplace.

Shane O’Callaghan joins as an electrical apprentice, Braden Lawry and Jesse Elley as general engineering apprentices and Ethan Hogarth as an automotive apprentice. The positions mean the four friends will not be returning to their Year 13 high school classes when the third term begins next week. Shane, Ethan and Braden have been at Buller High School, while Jesse was boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch.

Malcolm Griffiths, the Stockton Alliance Human Resources Manager, says there was a very strong response to last month’s call for applicants. “We believe this is the largest number of new apprentices we’ve taken on at one time, at least since the 1970s when coal mining at Stockton began its comeback.

”There were many high-quality candidates for these positions and it was very pleasing to see so many quality applications from local people,” he says. “I think that’s both recognition of the value of modern trades training – there’s not many skilled careers any more where you are paid to learn – and a mark of confidence in our operation here.

“With the progress we’ve made so far under Stockton Alliance, we know the mine will be viable and providing many hundreds of jobs for decades to come and that’s now being recognised by the community as well, with strong lists of applicants for jobs here.”

Stockton Alliance is a partnership between Solid Energy and Downer EDI Mining. Stockton Opencast Mine is Solid Energy’s most valuable operational coal mining asset, delivering high-quality steelmaking coal for export. The mine’s output underpins KiwiRail’s Midland Line and contributes to the business of Lyttelton Port of Christchurch. Directly employing approximately 600 people through Stockton Alliance, the mine has sufficient economically recoverable resources to continue producing for at least another 20 years.

The new apprentices were photographed at Ngakawau. They are, from left, Braden Lawry, Shane O'Callaghan, Ethan Hogarth and Jesse Elley.

ENDS

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