Natasha Marsh, fondly known as Tash, started her journey in the mining industry with determination and a thirst for knowledge.
Coming from a background in cattle and sheep farming, she took her father's advice to explore trades. With a stroke of luck, a link to an apprenticeship in fitting landed in her inbox from her stepmom, setting the wheels in motion for her Monadelphous journey.
“After doing a face-to-face interview with Monadelphous, I was asked to come back to the office for a team building exercise with marshmallows and raw spaghetti. A few weeks later, I started with Monadelphous as a first-year fitter apprentice contracted out to an iron ore mine site 140km north, north west of Newman called south flank in the conveyor modular yard,” Tash said.
The road to her current position was paved with grit, determination, and a hunger for knowledge. Over four years, Tash navigated through various mine sites, soaking up insights from seasoned tradespeople like a sponge.
"I've always looked up to my dad, who's a heavy-duty diesel mechanic. It was only natural for me to follow in his footsteps and carve my niche in this industry," she said.
“In my last six months of my apprenticeship, I was brought on to the Mount Weld mine site by Trent Murat to show me a different path in fitting together filter press and see my development I had been given over the past four years to see if I was ready to signed as fitter.”
As a Fixed Plant Mechanical Fitter, Tash's days are a whirlwind of activity, starting with safety protocols and pre-start meetings. From assembling conveyors to aligning crushers, her responsibilities can be varying.
“Fitting is a very broad trade we are here to assemble, install, align and maintain the fixed equipment that helps process, move or reduces the size of the products mined such as and not limited to: conveyors, crushers, hydraulic units, pumps, motors, pipe work, gear boxes and so much more,” she said.
“With such a broad scope our responsibilities are constantly change as we could be on one job before break time and on a different one after so being resilient and flexible with our day plays a big part in our trade.”
For Tash, Monadelphous' unwavering support has been pivotal in helping her succeed. From tailored training programs to mentorship opportunities, she is grateful to Monos’ for all that they have done.
"In my fourth year, instead of shuffling me between sites, Monadelphous placed me in their Bibra Lake workshop, allowing me to delve into welding and machining under the guidance of experienced tradespeople," Tash recounts.
“At the end of my apprenticeship they placed me on a site where I could show my experience from over the year, and I was given many opportunities to go through my course work and work with tradespeople one on one to ensure I could stand on my own two feet and be confident in myself.
The most rewarding aspect of Tash’s role lies in its diversity. From flange management to conveyor alignments, each day presents a new challenge, keeping her on her toes and fueling her passion for the craft.
As she looks towards the future, Tash envisions furthering her career in mining while harbouring aspirations of venturing into diesel mechanics by the age of 25, following in her parents' footsteps.
"The opportunities in mining and at Monadelphous are boundless. Whether you're a seasoned tradesperson or a fresh apprentice, there's a place for everyone to thrive," she said.