Blaenavon Town Council and Big Pit National Coal Museum are celebrating successful completion of two mining apprenticeships.

The town council contributed £6,000 to the sponsorship of two apprentices in 2022. The money was for a three-year apprenticeship.

Blaenavon's mayor, Cllr Dr Nathan Matthews got together with the council's chief officer Kevin Warren, Big Pit's mine manager Brian Lewis, and apprentices Conall Burton and Steven Carpenter to discuss how the apprenticeships helped skills and knowledge to help the future of Big Pit as a working mine.

Cllr Matthews said: "Big Pit National Coal Museum is among Blaenavon’s most valuable cultural and economic assets. It puts our town on the map and is also an important employer of local people.

"It is vital that this museum is sustainable so that it can continue to present the important coalmining heritage of Wales to the world."

Brian Lewis, mine manager said: "The apprenticeships are an important part of our succession plan at Big Pit and will help to ensure that the public can continue to enjoy, experience and learn about the history of the mining industry in Wales."

Conall Burton said: "Training as an apprentice at Big Pit is a once in a lifetime opportunity to work in an industry that will never be forgotten… who wouldn’t want to be part of Big Pit’s future?"