TAFE NSW Cobar student Stevie
Templer-Long has won a $2,000 Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineering Society (MEMMES) Scholarship.
MEMMES National Chair Peter Whipp said due to the high calibre of applications this year, the selection committee decided to award four scholarships rather than the usual two.
“Last year, we had one winner from Orange and one from the Hunter Valley.
“MEMMES is excited to have doubled
our donation in 2019 to $8,000,” Mr Whipp said.
“Our goal is to encourage apprentices to
further their education and go on to take leading industry roles, as the engineers of the future.
An excited Ms Templer-Long, who works at CSA Mine, accepted the award at a special presentation in Dubbo last week, and said she plans to use the scholarship to complete a Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology at TAFE NSW.
“This will not only provide me with hands-on knowledge and skills needed when diagnosing and repairing vehicles, it will also drive me to the future of environmentally friendly battery operated machinery.”
“This course will help me to achieve my career goals and set me up for an exciting future to be proud of,” Ms Templer-Long said.
“It’s one thing to believe in yourself but to have other people believe in you is a tremendous feeling.
“I feel very supported as a female working in a predominately male industry and inspired to keep achieving my goals.”
Mr Whipp said the scholarship is at an opportune time with the Australian mining sector expecting renewed employment growth over the next five years of 2.4 per cent or 5,600 jobs.
A technical society within Engineers Australia, MEMMES partnered with the Hunter TAFE Foundation to offer the scholarship to encourage further study for workers in the mining industry.
Anyone who was enrolled in, or had recently completed an electrical or mechanical engineering trade qualification was eligible to apply.
Four scholarships were provided in total, with the other recipients from Parkes, Newcastle and Muswellbrook.
“Vital roles like these provide a significant contribution to the sector’s ongoing success,” Mr Whipp said.
Hunter TAFE Foundation president Gary Webb said they were delighted to work with MEMMES to support and inspire mining industry participants into advancing their engineering studies.
“This generous donation will greatly assist four Australians to help realise their tremendous potential as opportunities in their sector pick up speed,” Mr Webb said.
Established in 2000, the Hunter TAFE Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation working with business, education and community leaders to support TAFE training.
