Jonah Bennett has shown his Newcrest colleagues that he’s ready to accept his latest challenge, as Telfer’s first Martu apprentice.
Jonah is from the Bidyadanga community, located on the Kimberley coast, and first began working for Newcrest at the Telfer site in late 2015. Jonah has worked as an Underground Belt Sampler, a Shutdown worker, and as a Weeds and Seeds technician.
“Since I started work at Telfer, my life at home has changed. To succeed at Telfer, you need to have a good attitude to work. I have had to push myself harder and harder to get to the next level, to get to the next stage," he said.
A year ago, Jonah began working on site at Telfer as a Martu trainee Trades Assistant in the Fixed Plant Maintenance department.
“As a trainee I have learnt so much. Over that time, I’ve worked here and there. Everything’s worked out for me and though it was sometimes hard, I was very happy to have passed my 12 months traineeship,” he said.
The past 12 months have provided Jonah with the platform he needed to take the exciting next step of commencing a four-year apprenticeship as a Mechanical Fitter. Jonah has since had great support from his colleagues in the Fixed Plant Maintenance department beginning his formal training early this year.
"My next big challenge is to succeed in my apprenticeship, and I’m going to fight hard for it,” Jonah said.
"My family are happy I’m here. Sometimes it’s really hard for all of us. I’m missing their birthdays and school assemblies, but work is important to get somewhere in life,” Jonah said.
Located in the east Pilbara region of Western Australia, the 100% Newcrest owned Telfer site, is comprised of the Main Dome and West Dome open pit mines, and the Telfer underground mine.