‘Apprentice Riki Realises Her Dream with Downer’ – Brisbane, Queensland.

A proud young Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander woman originally from regional Queensland, Riki, moved to Brisbane with her sister a week after graduating high school in November 2017.

Although she loved her hometown Bauhinia, Riki knew there would be limited opportunities available in the engineering industries if she stayed.

Motivated by this practicality and a desire to be a positive role model, Riki received the full support of her family when she left home after graduating.

Active in her school community, Riki was acknowledged by her peers and faculty as Vice-Captain and involved in several excellence programs such as Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy Program, Mitsui Coal Intensive Language Program, Thiess Mining and Resource Workshop and Inspire U Program.

In January 2018, Riki’s dream of commencing a fitting and turning apprenticeship became a reality as she started an apprenticeship with Downer. This positive step sees Riki begin to build a successful engineering career.

Throughout her apprenticeship Riki has demonstrated commitment and passion for her trade and has been motivated, mentored and inspired by those around her at Downer’s Mineral Technologies.