October 14th, 2010 – In a world first, funding for an apprenticeship program in the minting industry was announced at the conclusion of the recent 2010 Mint Directors Conference.
The Janine Murphy Scholarship for Apprentices is named in honor of the previous Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer who passed away last year after suffering from a long term illness. The ten-year apprenticeship program is being supported by the Poongsan Corporation, a Korean based company, which specializes in the development and mass production of copper-based alloys.
“Janine Murphy had true passion for the Royal Australian Mint and the minting industry and in particular, a strong passion for learning and education,” said Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Mr Ross MacDiarmid. “Janine was very much loved in the minting community because of this passion and commitment, which also had an integral part in the Royal Australian Mint having the opportunity to host this international conference. Therefore it was only fitting that this ten-year apprenticeship program be announced at MDC 2010.
This program is a first of its kind in the minting industry. There are of course apprenticeship programs available but this will focus on the development of specific skills for minting, which are very specialized and need to be nurtured,” said Mr MacDiarmid. “It will be available to anyone from around the world interested in pursuing a career in the field of minting.”