At the FutureFit Academy (FFA) in Perth, BHP is training the next generation of skilled tradespeople, offering hands-on experience and technical education for those looking to start a career in mining.

The Academy is a huge workshop where trainees come face to face with the tools and equipment they’d be working on at the mine site. 

For trainees like Kylie, Valerie, and Connor, the FFA is more than just a training ground - it’s the first step in a new career and a brighter future.
Kylie, who previously worked in customer service at a bank, joined the Academy with a desire to build a more secure future for herself and her family. She particularly finds the hands-on nature of the work rewarding, enjoying the opportunity to “get her hands dirty” in a way a career in banking couldn’t offer.

The daily routine commences with a safe start and then moves into a blend of classroom learning and practical training. For Kylie, the transition from bank teller to  mechanical fitting apprentice has left her feeling empowered, and she encourages others to take the leap. “Do it. Sign up, create your own future. Don’t wait for others to do it.”

For Valerie, the FFA represents a long-awaited dream. As a teenager, her aspiration was to become a mechanic. However, she was discouraged to follow that career path in high school due to stereotypes around women in trades in those days. Now she is pursuing her goal of becoming a mechanical fitter, fulfilling a dream she once thought was unattainable. 

“It’s been a dream for me. I’ve always wanted to work for BHP and never felt I had anything to offer. However, BHP have let me follow my dream in becoming a mechanical fitter.”

Her advice to others who may feel hesitant is simple: “Don’t delay. Apply and get in. Follow your dreams.”
Connor, another trainee at FFA, came to the Academy after working in the industry as an unskilled labourer. For him, wearing the “three letters” of BHP on his uniform is a point of pride and a symbol of the career path he has worked hard to build. Like his fellow trainees, Connor is excited to soon be deployed to an active site where he can apply what he’s learnt and become part of a larger crew. He knows the challenges of breaking into the mining industry, advising newcomers to “give it a red-hot crack” and persevere.

The training at FFA is hands-on and immersive, with trainees working on real equipment like conveyors, mobile plants, and vibrating screens to develop the practical skills needed on site. The FFA offers traineeships in Mechanical Fitting and Heavy Diesel with apprenticeships also offered in these two trades along with Fabrication and Auto-Electrical apprenticeships.

Says Valerie, who is just months away from deployment to site, ‘We’re looking forward to actually putting in to practice a lot of the things that we’ve learnt, and becoming part of a  crew, and living our dream now in mining on site.’

The FutureFit Academy provides opportunities for people like Kylie, Val, and Connor to not only upskill, but to also build a better and more diverse BHP.