Tiwai recruits 90 extra staff for its fourth potline bringing total workers to 900

The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter has recruited 90 extra staff for its fourth potline and is already training them. This brings the total number of workers at the plant to 900, including contractors. Smelter general manager Stewart Hamilton says this recent recruitment drive has been the biggest since the 1990s.

The fourth potline at the smelter will begin its operation by the end of the year and gradually increase production with a hike in orders.

Out of these 90 new workers, most of them are from Southland.

Hamilton reports this was a challenge to bring people from an outside environment to a large industrial high-tech environment, stating further "We have to make sure people are aware of the safety hazards and risks, know how to operate the equipment and be able to do it in a timely and quality fashion."

Tiwai was always known for its male-dominated environment, but the recent recruitment drive has given a boost to the percentage of women from 6 per cent to nearly 8 per cent on the site.

"We have still got a way to go but it's a good start," says Hamilton.

The smelter also introduced a trainee operator hub, created 10 new roles in training, and initiated facility round the clock.