Up to 40 Indigenous Australians are set to benefit from an expanded Rio Tinto training program that kicks off in Perth this month, with sessions in Karratha and Tom Price to follow.
Rio Tinto’s annual Aboriginal Training and Liaison (ATAL) program is an eight-week initiative designed to build job-ready skills and provide access to a range of career pathways. Over the last two years, 54 Indigenous Australians have participated in the program, which has run in Perth and Karratha.
Up to 40 participants are expected across the three instalments in Perth, Karratha and Tom Price.
The ATAL curriculum covers training in safety, health and wellbeing, cultural awareness, workplace expectations and financial literacy, together with resume support and career planning.
It aims to help prepare participants for future employment, whether with Rio Tinto, across the wider mining industry, or anywhere beyond.
ATAL was relaunched in 2023, with guidance from Rio Tinto’s regional implementation committee, which is made up of Pilbara Traditional Owners and Rio Tinto.
Rio Tinto iron ore vice president – people Matt Kimball said ATAL was an important piece of community outreach in the areas where Rio Tinto worked.
“ATAL is about more than delivering a training program – it’s about listening to our communities, understanding the barriers to employment and creating real pathways to sustainable jobs for Indigenous people,” he said.
“Thanks to the leadership of Traditional Owners, and in particular the members of the Regional Implementation Committee, we continue to evolve ATAL to meet community needs and expand the program’s reach across Western Australia.”
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