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Apprentice Testimonials
Ashley Davis, 3rd year Apprentice Fitter First Class Machinist:
In the time I have spent at Alcoa as a fitter and machinist I have had some of the best training with a very safety conscious company.
When I first started with Alcoa I was shown the basics of the trade and how to use the tools of the trade correctly and safely. My training alternated between fitting and machining, spending 3 months at a time in the different areas. As well as the “on the job” experience, I attended TAFE 1 day a week for the first three years of my apprenticeship.
Skills I have learnt through my apprenticeship are complete overhauls of large gearboxes, pumps and air tools and many other types of machinery. In the machine shop I have learnt how to manufacture and repair parts to precise tolerances.
I see Alcoa as a great company to work for with excellent opportunities for apprentices to learn trade skills from the best tradesmen and women in the industry.
Kristina Madalena, 2nd year Mechanical Fitter
My apprenticeship gives me the opportunity to work in a variety of areas. So far I have learnt to strip and rebuild many types of valves, pumps, gearboxes and air tools, all which are used out in the alumina refinery. It's great to be able to fix all this equipment that I really didn't know much about when I came here. And it's satisfying to go out in the field and see something that you helped to rebuild being used in the process of creating alumina. The mechanical knowledge and skills I have learnt so far have been valuable outside of work as well. It has given me the confidence to pursue my dream of Drag Racing. I now pit crew in a racing team and have been having a go at driving myself.
Alcoa and it's employees are very supportive of women working in the industry. They are eager to help solve any special problems I may have so that when I finish my apprenticeship, I leave here confident in my ability and to a standard that I am proud of. I feel fortunate to be working with and learning from men and women with so much experience and look forward to completing my apprenticeship and the beginning of a successful career.
Adam Ellis, 2nd year Apprentice Fitter First Class Machinist
I am currently a second year fitter and machinist at the Alcoa Pinjarra refinery. My training has involved 3 monthly stints in the different areas of the workshop including the machining bay, the air tools workshop, and the mechanical fitting area. I have learnt a great deal about my trade from the many experienced tradespersons in Alcoa, skills I would have never learnt anywhere else.
Alcoa gives us many opportunities to succeed during our apprenticeship, both on the job training and off. I have had the opportunity this year to do additional studies in hydraulics, pneumatics and CAD A and B (computer assisted drawing), which combined with the experience and knowledge I am gaining at work, will make me a better tradesperson with greater employment opportunities.
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