Mader Group
Mader Group has been selected as an ABA100® Winner for Training Excellence in The Australian Business Awards 2021. The Australian Business Award for Training Excellence [TRX] recognises organisations that have successfully implemented initiatives that demonstrate leadership and commitment to education and training.
“It is with great pleasure we accept the 2021 ABA100 Award for Training Excellence, in recognition of our internal training initiative, ‘Mader Trade Up.’ As a leader in heavy equipment maintenance, we understand the importance of growing and developing skillsets within the Australian mining industry. Launched in 2019, our Mader Trade Up Program has the ability to train and develop tradespeople through a tailored 18-month apprenticeship program. The program combines classroom based learning and simulated training environments to best prepare participants for a rewarding career in mining as Heavy Duty Diesel Mechanics. We’re proud to be contributing to the industry by investing in the workforce of tomorrow.”
Founded in Western Australia, Mader Group quickly forged a reputation in the industry as the mechanically minded specialists in mobile equipment and fixed infrastructure maintenance. It all began in 2005, off the back of Founder and Executive Director, Luke Mader, our first-ever tradesperson on the tools. Working as a single man band out of his ute in the Kimberley, Luke identified an underserviced ‘niche’ in the market. He recognised that he could provide flexible, ‘tap on, tap off’ maintenance solutions to make a real difference to everyday mining and civil operations. This service has been helping customers reach their targets since.
Today, our widening network of customers includes many of the major players in mining. Our widening range of specialised maintenance services ensure that heavy equipment powers around the clock across mine sites, civil operations, port and rail projects and more. We have the capacity to deploy large teams throughout the major mining regions of Australia and the world, and hold a proven track record of delivering quality results in a professional, cost effective and timely manner. Our workforce are job ready, trade qualified, professional and backed by highly experienced management – a leadership team that comprises a substantial share of trade qualified mechanics who commenced their careers in the field with Mader and know the company through and through.
This internal structure combined with Mader’s unique ‘blue sky’ business model, has allowed the business to build a name not only as a world class maintenance provider, but also as an ‘employer of choice’ in the industry. Today, Mader employs a highly loyal workforce of 1,600 specialists – a feat only made possible by attracting and retaining the best workforce. Our employees represent our most loyal brand ambassadors with many commending the business on its inclusive workplace culture, easy access to global career pathways, training opportunities, unparalleled job variety and flexibility.
Mader is particularly proud of its latest training initiative to grow and develop its internal workforce – an upskilling program that allows us to widen skillsets internally but also recruit external candidates for entry into to the mining industry. Mader’s Trade Upgrade Apprenticeship Program ‘aka Mader Trade Up’ was developed and launched in Western Australia in October 2019 to ease the impacts of a tightening skills shortage.
To date, Mader Trade Up has enlisted more than 100 Apprentices, with the program expanding to deliver training to tradespeople in Queensland in mid-2021 on the back of its success. This year, Mader also used the program to drive diversity in the sector, launching a campaign to encourage and engage female participation in the field. As a leader in the equipment maintenance sector, we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to grow and develop our workforce of tomorrow. We are proud to offer lifechanging training opportunities to our workforce and look forward to the continued expansion of this training program and others.