An underground truck from multinational engineering company Sandvik has been donated by Perenti Group company Barminco to the South Metropolitan TAFE.
While the Sandvik underground truck has already lived out its full mine life, it will serve as a training resource for plant mechanic apprentices, trainees and students at South Metropolitan TAFE’s Heavy Vehicle Mechanical Training Centre, which is part of the Thornlie campus.
“The (WA) Government thanks Barminco for its generous donation, which will help train up the mining and heavy automotive workforce of the future,” WA Training Minister Simone McGurk said.
“Providing students with contemporary machinery ensures when they land jobs they’re already equipped with the skills demanded by industry – so they can hit the ground running.”
The Heavy Vehicle Mechanical Training Centre uses current industry equipment that mirrors real-life working environments to equip students with job-ready skills.
Its students will use the underground truck to learn how to diagnose and repair a full range of mining and civil construction equipment including dump trucks, bulldozers, loaders, graders, drill rigs and heavy plant machinery.
McGurk said the Sandvik underground truck complements the WA Government’s $25 million investment in modern equipment for WA TAFE colleges.
“The mining and resources sector is a vital component of the State’s economy, and this is a fantastic example of how WA TAFE colleges work closely with the mining industry to provide training that leads to real jobs,” she said.
In its lifetime, the donated Sandvik underground truck carried out 29,325 loads, which equalled to more than 1.4 million tonnes. It helped support the development of Barminco’s Sunrise Dam and Savannah mining operations in WA and its Dugald River site in Queensland.