Students embrace hands-on learning opportunity

As the school year draws to a close, Inline Engineering has continued its commitment to young people, hosting multiple work experience opportunities over the last term of school.

Several Hedland Senior High School students have spent days in the air-conditioned workshop learning what life on the tools could be like.

From learning how to strip a bogie assembly to the different parts of an ore car dumper, students learned different aspects of heavy fitting work under the watchful eye of supervisor Eddie Martin. Inline Engineering services managing director James Taylor said he was proud of the work the students and staff had done over the year. “We’ve had a great year with winning the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce and Industry overall business of the year award and our apprentice Cain (Bathurst) winning the Northwest Skills Championships,” he said. “We know work experience and practical life skills can make all the difference in young people getting a job out of high school.”

Following the students’ placement, parents joined students and Inline staff for morning tea and a barbecue lunch.

One mother, Trace Lee, said she was thankful for the support Inline Engineering had given her son. “What a great local business supporting the work experience students,” she said.

“Christine Clare (another parent) and I thank them for looking after our boys, taking them to the local cafe in your own lunch break, teaching them, guiding them, the fantastic feedback and the Friday barbecue.”

Inline Engineering was established in 2001 and has expanded from only fitting and maintaining gearboxes for mining conveyor belts and other machinery to now supplying replacement systems to BHP and Fortescue Metals Group.