Local lad strikes gold at Rusha surface mine

Teenager’s bold move leads to full-time job plus the opportunity to gain professional qualification

WHEN a determined teenager arrived unannounced at his local mining site in search of work, he struck gold in the shape of a rewarding career.

Craig Muir chanced his luck one morning when he turned up at the Rusha surface mine in Breich, West Lothian, asking for a job.

The management at Banks Mining were so surprised and impressed by his bold move that they decided to give him a chance, and after displaying huge enthusiasm for the role and a willingness to learn, Craig subsequently landed the job full-time.

Now, the Breich-based 20-year-old is on his way to a long and rewarding career as Banks Mining are paying for him to attend a training course at college.

Craig said: ‘I’m not one for sitting around and doing nothing, so when I heard about the site opening I went down to try and get a job.

‘It’s such an amazing opportunity, especially working for such a good employer like Banks. Everyone is supportive and I’m learning from people who are qualified in areas that I have no experience in, so I’m always learning.

‘When I found out they were going to send me to college, I was over the moon. My parents are very proud of me. I go to college one day a week and the rest of the time I’m on site.

‘Getting this job has changed my life and now getting myself qualifications is going to improve my future. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that everyone at Banks has given me.’

Craig started with Banks in January 2013 and began the Construction Plant Mechanics course at Kelvin College, in Glasgow, in September this year. The course will see him train to be a plant fitter and graduate with an SVQ in four years’ time.

Jim Donnelly, mining director at Banks Mining, said he was hugely impressed by Craig and hoped his story would inspire others.

‘Craig is full of enthusiasm and is a positive role model for others,’ he commented. ‘When he first arrived we were impressed by his old-fashioned method of job-seeking; he showed great promise from day one and has never stopped asking for more work and responsibility.

‘Over the last year his hard work and determination have seen him progress from his initial role and he has been able to participate in more skilled tasks and roles within the site maintenance team.

‘We were all very impressed by his work ethic, eagerness to learn and positive attitude, and wanted to invest in his future. So we decided to offer Craig the opportunity of attending college and gaining professional qualifications that will improve his career.

‘We are very proud to have him working alongside us and hope his story will inspire more people to work with us. Our people are the biggest factor in our success, and by training young lads like Craig we are investing in the future.’

Banks have permission to undertake mining operations at Rusha for a seven-year period. Once coaling is complete, the 154ha site will be fully restored and landscaped to a mixture of woodland and agriculture.