Curtin University of Technology’s WA School of Mines (WASM) will be offering up to 20 cadetships for its mining and metallurgy courses in 2011.
The cadetships, facilitated by the WA School of Mines Graduates’ Association (WASMGA) and industry and community groups, will be available to first year students who select mining or metallurgy as their first preference when applying to study at Kalgoorlie.
WASMGA President Tony James said the cadetships, worth $10,000 each, gave students a head start with their university study.
“All WASM graduates have great memories of studying in Kalgoorlie and we are pleased to be offering the cadetships in 2011,” he said.
Sixteen cadetships were awarded to WASM students in 2010.
First-year mining student Luke Andony, 18, said his 2010 cadetship had provided many opportunities, including moving to Kalgoorlie.
“Accommodation in Kalgoorlie is expensive and so is living away from home,” he said.
“Without the cadetship, I’m not sure I would have been able to afford to study here.
Luke said he had always wanted to work with machines, particularly in the mining industry.
“I grew up on a family farm in Harvey, with a lot of heavy machinery,” he said.
“I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with machines and the mining industry has the biggest machines of all. It was an easy decision to make.”
Luke has thrown himself into the WASM culture and was the captain of the Wombats B team at the International Mining Games in April.
