GFG Alliance is restarting its graduate worker program to help overcome an ageing workforce, with about a third of its Whyalla steelworks staff to reach retirement age in the next 15 years.
Key points:
- GFG Alliance is looking for more graduates and apprentices to support its transition to green steel
- About a third of the Whyalla steelworks’ 1,200-strong workforce is set to retire in the next 15 years
- The company has increased its intake of apprentices
The international company recently hired 31 university graduates to work predominantly in engineering for the steelworks, in South Australia’s Upper Spencer Gulf, and its surrounding mining operations.
Liberty Primary Steel runs the steelworks as part of GFG Alliance, where managing director Tony Swiericzuk says university graduates and apprentices are key to the steelworks’ future.
“We’ve got 460 people over the age of 50 so we’ve got that challenge as well, which is very supportive of heavy graduate and apprentice intakes,” he said.
“By no means are we trying to move people out, quite the opposite, we need to keep those people.
“There are people who are saying, ‘I’m 60 and I want to retire and jump in my caravan’.
“We’re saying, ‘Hang on a minute, we need your skill set to train the people coming through’.”
‘Everything you could want’ in a career
One of the new workers is University of South Australia graduate Parth Mirani, who said the company offered interesting career paths.
“It has the potential. I feel the thing that I’m looking for is that you have everything [you could want for your career],” he said.
“You have mines, you’re getting iron from the mines which you’re then turning into steel, and then you’re selling it to customers.”
GFG Alliance is upgrading its Whyalla steelworks to be able to produce green steel, which is steel made without the use of fossil fuels.
Mr Swiericzuk said that meant the company would need plenty more talent coming through to make the transformation a reality.
“We will have a huge demand for people of all skillsets as we move forward with the green steel transition,” he said.
“We’re a big, ageing business. The steelworks have been around for quite a long time — we’ve got a blast furnace that has been here for 60 years.”
GFG Alliance has said it is also increasing its intake of apprentices in the steel city this year from 20 to 35.