THE BEST OF 2021: Bengalla Mining Company

Bengalla Mining Company

Bengalla Mining Company are committed to providing career opportunities to people in our community and ensuring a skilled workforce into the future. One way they do this is through their apprenticeship and scholarship programs.

Every year Bengalla offers an Engineering Scholarship to a student who is attending Muswellbrook High School, St Josephs High School, Aberdeen, Scone High School, Scone Grammar School, Singleton High School, or St Catherine’s Singleton.

Bengalla value being a part of the school to careers pathway for local students and the Engineering Scholarship which now also includes Surveying and Geology in the Scholarship eligible criteria, is something they are particularly proud to provide. The four year scholarship is valued at $34,000 and also includes paid vacation work. Applications are still open for 2022 and will close on December 6.

There are four current scholarship recipients in the program. Alex and Brock are both studying Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle University and are currently onsite completing their stint of vacation work. They have a number of projects they are working on over the next 10 weeks and will soon be joined by the two Electrical Engineering students (Talesin and Kye).

Recently Bengalla also welcomed their latest round of first year apprentices where they will be supported, coached and mentored while they gain skills for life as well as formal qualifications.

Since 2005, Bengalla have been taking on four apprentices every year and the latest intake consists of three Electrical Apprentices, two Plant Mechanic apprentices, and for the first time, Bengalla also has a Farm Trainee joining the ranks who will work with the Bengalla Agricultural Company on the farmland surrounding the mine.

Bengalla are firm believers in the co-existence of mining and agriculture and are demonstrating this with the work of Bengalla Agricultural Company. Significant work was undertaken to re-establish infrastructure and renovate the property consisting of 450ha for grazing cattle, 235ha for dryland cropping and an additional 165ha of irrigated cropping area. It has produced substantial summer and winter crops and is currently backgrounding 500 weaner steers making use of the quality feed on offer.

When it comes to community support Bengalla has made a big difference in the community. From the upcoming Bengalla Charity Golf Luncheon which will see an incredible donation of a brand-new vehicle for TransCare, made possible due to the combined effort of local industry and business, to getting behinds events and organisations such as the Scone Charity Rodeo, the Bengalla Cup Day and the Scone Bucking Bull Association, this is a company that cares about their community and the people in it. And that’s no bull.