SUMMER EDITION 2017 SUPPLIER AWARDS TOMAGO TALKS RECEIVE STRONG PRAISE IoT TAKING TALENTED ON THE WORLD MO BROS MAKE A APPRENTICES MOVE IN MOVEMBER CONTENTS CEO message 3 FEATURE STORY 4-5 TOMAGO TALKS TALENTED APPRENTICES Coming together to increase productivity 6 The market has noticed 7 Supplier awards receive strong praise 8-9 Two decades of safety recognised 10 Looking after the environment 11 Putting the spring into spring cleaning 12 Summer care packages beat the heat 13 John Penkala memorial golf day 13 New canteen ideas are cooking 14 Computer-based training room on-site 14 IoT taking on the world 15 Celebrating years of service 16 Welcome to Tomago’s new starters 16 Hitting back at mental health 16 John’s triumph over adversity 17 Tomago steps up for R U OK DAY 18 Mo bros make a move in Movember 19 Coming home 20 Joel reaches great heights 21 A year in support of local charities 22 60 Seconds with... Tony Woodwood 23 2 SUMMER EDITION 2017 MATT HOWELL – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER “WHAT MIGHT SEEM the opportunity for voluntary businesses that are vital to our bottled water fridge at the front redundancy – which is good ongoing success. We received of the change house is now fully IMPOSSIBLE AND for them as they get to leave a huge number of thank you stocked and back in action. UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE, early with an incentive and it’s notes from attendees – many Last year we supplied over good for the remainder of us simply noting that in the 63,000 bottles of water and we BUT WOULD MAKE because our cost base is current climate, there are very will continue to provide this free A BIG DIFFERENCE lower. We’re also acting to few businesses that take the service now the warmer months improve the nature of the work time to thank their suppliers in are upon us. IF WE DID IT?” this way. The highlight of the we do, either by minimising Let me take this opportunity evening was the presentation It’s a question doing the exposure to heat or removing to thank everyone for their rounds at TAC as we face or automating the repetitive of the EHS Award to Fives ongoing commitment and the reality of a new energy and low-skill tasks. Services Newcastle for their hard work over the past contract kicking in from terrific service and safe work Our performance this year has 12 months. On behalf of the November 1. The new contract practices at all hours of the again been very commendable. site Management Team, I wish runs until late 2028 at pretty day and night – congratulations everyone a safe and happy much a fixed rate, but well At the time of writing we have Ian Elliott and the team! had two recordable injuries and Christmas with their families; over a hundred million dollars We have also had a very we trust you enjoy the ham had notched up the impressive more in annual cost. Since active year of continued and Christmas puddings! milestone of over a million work we can’t pass this cost on to charity support, with in I would also ask that everyone hours without a recordable our customers (the LME sets excess of $50,000 to a variety spare a thought for those injury. This is testament to the the price for aluminium on a of deserving causes such as working around the clock on Mates looking after Mates daily basis), we simply have Westpac Helicopter Rescue shift work when most of us are mind-set we are embracing. On to absorb it and find other Service, Variety, Mark Hughes enjoying some time off – our the production front, we are on means to increase volumes, Foundation, Hunter Defence business couldn’t survive track to beat last year’s record reduce costs and avoid loss Support Network and Hunter without you! Frank and his and the quality is a stand-out, and waste. I take my hat off to Medical Research Institute, as team at the Food Pad are the vast number of people in with iron in all 3 potlines below well as dozens of employee’s preparing lashings of our business who continue to 900ppm. This is how we stay in family members for sporting traditional tucker for the 25th. find ways to do things quicker, business; deliver outstanding and representative teams. simpler and cheaper. Our future quality, in full, on time. Have a safe holiday period and By now you will have received lies in our own hands and we I look forward to making 2018 Recently we had a very your summer care package have a very bright future if we another very successful year! successful 12th annual (including a cooler bag, sun continue to work together. Best regards, Supplier Awards function, cream, ice brick and information Matt We’ve made enormous where we celebrate and about the importance of staying progress on our automation recognise the best of the hydrated at work during the and job redesign projects, best in our supplier and Summer months). We recognise from auto anode gauging, service providers. Despite our people go through some Do you have an interesting K10 robotic anode cleaning the rising costs facing the pretty intense times, particularly story to tell? If you have a and ingot chain automation business, we are proud to at the height of summer and we suggestion for TAC News please contact Katie Burns at to name a few. Many long continue to support the many are doing everything we can to [email protected] serving colleagues have taken small (and some large) minimise the impact. The SUMMER EDITION 2017 3 TOMAGO TALKS TALENTED APPRENTICES FOR MOST OF US, TOMAGO’S APPRENTICES ARE JUST THAT – TOMAGO ALUMINIUM’S APPRENTICES. 4 SUMMER EDITION 2017 Our apprentices hard at work practicing their skills including welding and electrical work. “That pretty well rounds them off and for WHAT FEW OF US DON’T KNOW IS JUST the rest of the year they take-on work HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET ONE OF THOSE projects, which give them a chance to APPRENTICESHIPS, AND HOW LUCKY A consolidate their skills,” Greg added. While all that is going on, the apprentices CANDIDATE IS TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THE have one day each week at TAFE. COMPANY’S APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. From the start of their second year the apprentices get out of the workshop to go Apprentice Training Supervisor, Greg Wall, Their first year is spent in the Apprentice on-site, rotating through various locations recently explained how the program Training Workshop and for the first three for between three and nine months. By the works and if you thought picking the months they learn how to use basic tools, time they are fully qualified tradespeople winning Lotto numbers was difficult, try manual and power tools, before breaking they know the workings of the entire site. getting one of the seven apprenticeships into their individual skill groups for six Final-year apprentices, if they have met offered each year. weeks for basic machining and basic certain training criteria, can apply for electrical knowledge. “We have apprenticeships for Mechanical, one day off each week to do additional Electrical and Plant Mechanic trades,” Greg Another six-week block has them learning studies within their field of expertise, the said, “and we go through a fairly rigorous more tool skills – oxy and acetylene company contributes to their training and process to choose the right people. welding, brazing, cutting, electric arc and text book costs. MIG skills. Then they go back into their “For those seven positions we generally At the end of four years the program has skills groups for a six-week block with average about 300 applicants and the rolled-out a select group of highly skilled electrical apprentices learning the basics standard of candidates is very high. and extremely well-qualified tradespeople of electric motors, motor controls and the and, not surprisingly, the company is “We advertise the positions in June and like and mechanical apprentices learning happy to keep them in-house. after the application period has closed we power transmission basics including start a culling process. Those that make bearing principles, drives and lubrication. “Our apprentice retention rate is around it past that point are invited in for aptitude 60 per cent,” says Greg, “and of those “By the middle of their first year they are testing and then we have another culling that do leave, 99 per cent of the time ready to take on some small plant jobs in process. After that we conduct interviews they have good jobs to go to.” the workshop before they start ramping- and from there we choose our final seven.” up for the end of the year. Basic The best part for Greg? “We’re a pretty The new employees start their four-year hydraulics and pneumatics maintenance, close bunch and I get to train some really apprenticeships at the beginning of reading and understanding schematics talented people and that’s something the year and it is an accelerated and plans, that kind of thing.” I really enjoy, knowing I have played learning curve. a part in their futures, whether they continue in the trade or pursue further career opportunities.” SUMMER EDITION 2017 5 COMING TOGETHER TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY Currently, the green anode stock level FOR ROD TAYLOR, IT ALWAYS is being maintained at around 5000 and COMES DOWN TO THE NUMBERS theoretically at least, the Paste Plant capacity can allow the stockpile AND HOW TO SHARE A FINITE to increase by 1000 units weekly.