Liontown's First Tjiwarl Member Completes Apprenticeship at Kathleen Valley

Liontown (ASX:LTR,OTC Pink:LINRF) has reached a milestone at its Kathleen Valley operations, with Vaughan Harris becoming the first Tjiwarl community member to complete an apprenticeship with the company.

“Being the first Tjiwarl apprentice to complete an apprenticeship here at Liontown feels exciting,” Vaughan said.

“Firstly, I’d like to thank Liontown Maintenance Manager Dean Lilly for meeting with me at the end of 2023 and giving me a short interview. Without him, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity," he continued.

"I also want to thank all of the electrical team, past and present, who have helped shape me into the person I am today. And, of course, my family for believing in me, and my wife Cate for always encouraging me through self-doubt.”

The company said it is “committed to creating social and economic value in the communities in which it operates, partnering closely with Tjiwarl to provide meaningful employment and training opportunities.”

Offering advice to future apprentices, Vaughan said, “Keep going and always believe in yourself. If you don’t understand something, ask questions and try repeating it back so you know you truly get it."

Kathleen Valley is located about 60 kilometres north of Leinster and 680 kilometres northeast of Perth. It has a resource estimate of 155 million tonnes at 1.3 percent lithium oxide and 131 parts per million tantalum pentoxide.

In November, Liontown held its first digital spot sales auction for 10,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate from Kathleen Valley, attracting more than 50 buyers from nine countries.

ASX companies are becoming more focused on involving traditional owners and locals in mining projects.

In late October, Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC:MALRF), through its subsidiary CSI Mining Services, entered a joint venture with Robe River Services to place traditional owners of the Onslow iron project at the centre of sustainable economic participation. Known as Yardi Mining Services, the joint venture aims to reset the standard for contracts involving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.