Roy Hill CEO Barry Fitzgerald said winning the award was especially significant, given the company is still a young and evolving company.

This week the company, with joint venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, approved investment of $1.55 billion to sustain production capacity at two projects which form part of the Robe River Joint Venture in the Pilbara.

Construction of both projects is expected to start next year with an estimated 1200 jobs created during this phase.

Fitzgerald said that since the company started in 2012, it was committed to development of its people.

“This year, we have developed and implemented a large number of training and

development initiatives for our employees,” he said.

“As Roy Hill accepts this award, we have more than 800 people actively engaged in training programs, complementing more than 300 staff who have successfully completed an accredited training course in the last two years.”

Roy Hill, a client of Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA), has started 150 trainees and apprentices in the last 12 months.

Apprenticeship Support Australia Manager Lena Constantine said the award recognised that Roy Hill’s training was helping to build the skilled workforce of tomorrow.

“We are proud to have been a key sponsor for the WA Employer of the Year award for the past four years, which values WA businesses dedication to their employees’ professional development,” she said.

“Apprenticeships and traineeships are a sound vehicle for people to learn on-the-job in real industry settings, while studying.

“This has been an important pillar to build the skills that WA has needed over the past 20 years, and now more than ever are vital to ensure our workforce can stay at the cutting edge.

“I’m also pleased to congratulate Western Power, whose employees Beth Hodder and Megan Feaver won this year’s WA Trainee of the Year award and Apprentice of the Year award.”

Feaver, from Bassendean, decided to take on an electrical apprenticeship later in life and aspires to leading and encouraging women into non-traditional roles.

Hodder, a former hair dresser, decided to retrain and move into the corporate world. She took on a business traineeship at Western Power and gained her Certificate III in business while working full-time.

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery said this year’s awards had shone a light on women excelling in STEM and non-traditional roles with women taking out seven of the eight individual awards.

► Build your skills of the future by hiring apprentices and trainees. Contact Apprenticeship Support Australia – a free service – on 1300 363 831.