Programmed Industrial Maintenance (PIM) are excited to announce our employment partnership with Western Australian based Birra Manpower Solutions (Birra).
Birra specialise in training people, mainly from the Martu Tribal Lands of the Western Desert, and hiring their services to mining companies in the region. It was formed by Kevin Fred, an Indigenous Martu Elder from the Pitjakarli Nyangumarta group and Rod Anthony, who has extensive experience working in the region as a specialist in training and employment. With many of Programmed’s key customers in the Western Desert region, working to engage the local Martu communities is a key focus for PIM.
L-R Steve Anthony, Asher Ryall, Kevin Fred, Lloyd Chigoma, Rod Anthony and Daniel Toby at Programmed’s Burswood office
It was at one these customer sites that PIM first worked alongside Birra, which inspired Lloyd Chigoma, Recruitment Manager to reach out to Birra and begin discussions on how the two companies could work together.
When Asher Ryall, General Manager WA joined PIM earlier this year, he threw his support behind the employment partnership with the local provider. Asher is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement and was eager to kick start one of many opportunities he sees in our future.
We are very excited to establish this employment partnership that provides genuine participation opportunities within the resources sector. This partnership reaffirms Programmed’s enduring commitment to the direct economic engagement with Aboriginal communities. It is a key part of the actions our business is taking to recognise, celebrate and build respectful relationships with the original custodians of our land.
Asher Ryall, General Manager WA
On 27 June, Programmed welcomed Kevin Fred, Rod Anthony, Steve Anthony and Daniel Toby from Birra at our office in Burswood to celebrate the new employment partnership which will kick off locally before expanding into wider Western Australia.
On the day, Kevin and Rod presented Lloyd and Asher two pieces of art from the Western Desert Region; one representing the Nullagine river which runs through the Martu Tribal Lands of the Western Desert and a photo of the actual Nullagine river which is 296 km in length. These were gratefully received and now hang proudly in Programmed’s Burswood office.
Rod and Kevin present Lloyd and Asher two pieces of art from the Western Desert Region
The get together also gave PIM and Birra an opportunity to outline the engagement strategy which includes conducting training to bridge any gaps in skills for the employees, mentoring and educating staff on our interactions within the communities and deploying the new team members across the sites PIM work at.
