CopperString builder Powerlink offers apprenticeships to Townsville

The company leading the major CopperString project will offer six apprenticeship roles in Townsville.

Powerlink Queensland chief executive Paul Simshauser talks about job numbers and timeframes of the Copperstring project with employee Chris Garlick.

Powerlink will open up six Townsville based apprenticeships for major billion dollar project CopperString in its next round of applications.

Powerlink has opened up its next round of its apprenticeship program with 24 positions to be offered in total from Brisbane, Gladstone and Townsville, which will specialise in electrical, command and communications, or as a linesperson.

The company hoped next year’s apprenticeships would be equally made up of men and women.

Almost a quarter of this year’s apprentices were women and Powerlink hoped to double that percentage next year.

The Townsville apprenticeships will include four electrical fitter mechanics and two communications positions.

The map of the CopperString plan which will link the North West Minerals Province to the national grid for the first time.

Apprentices would be working on the assets and infrastructure needed to build CopperString, which is an 840km transmission line through North Queensland.

The company already has 22 people working in Townsville to start its delivery who had been recruited since January.

The Queensland Government has so far offered $1.3b towards the $5b project, and work is expected to start in about two months from Hughenden with the construction of workforce accommodation and facilities.

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni and Richmond Shire mayor John Wharton meeting at the council offices in Richmond recently about the CopperString project. Powerlink will provide more consultation to the Richmond Shire community next month. Picture: Supplied.

Powerlink apprentices will be offered a four year program on a nine day fortnight roster with Certificate III qualifications, and the company reported there was a record increase of applications.

In this year’s apprenticeship round of 20 positions based in Brisbane and Gladstone, almost 706 applicants applied.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart said it was good to see the company offering Townsville based jobs for the first time next year.

“An application today could mean a job for a lifetime,” he said.

“These apprentices will be working on nation building infrastructure like our $5b CopperString project which will help unlock new critical minerals projects in the North West Minerals Province.

“This is just the start of an exciting time ahead with hundreds of local jobs expected across our region in coming years.”

In January Powerlink chief executive Paul Simshauser said the project had attracted interested applicants from across the world.

He said 120 employees would directly work on the CopperString project and that another 1000 people would be expected to be contracted to work on the construction phase.

Originally published as CopperString builder Powerlink offers apprenticeships to Townsville