- Jerseyman David Miller and British backpacker Hannah Witheridge were murdered in Thailand last year
- Two Burmese men are due to stand trial for the killings, which took place on Koh Tao island
- Mr Miller had been working for Jersey-based Australian mining company on scholarship programme
- Scheme, which is for Jersey students, will be renamed in his honour by Consolidated Materials
A SCHOLARSHIP course has been renamed in honour of an Islander who was enrolled on the programme before he was murdered in Thailand last year.
- The Australian company has its headquarters in Commercial Street, Jersey Evening Post
- It operates two manganese ore mines in Australia and Ghana
- It also owns a chromite mine in Australia the only one in the country
- Manganese is the 12th most common element found in the earths crust
- The metal is used to make several alloys, most commonly stainless steel
- Due to lowering sales of manganese, Consolidated Materials made a profit of $1 million in 2014 ($145m in 2013)[/breakout]
David Miller was killed alongside Norfolk student Hannah Witheridge while on holiday in the Thai island of Koh Tao in September.
Mr Miller had travelled to Thailand having recently completed a period of work experience at an Australian mine site with manganese ore producer Consolidated Minerals.
The company, which has its headquarters in Commercial Street, has decided that the previously unnamed scholarship – which Mr Miller was on at the time – should be named in honour of the 24-year-old.
The David Miller Scholarship is exclusively for Jersey students and aimed at those studying geology or engineering.
It offers the chance to complete five or six weeks’ work experience at the company’s Australian base, while the firm also provides financial support to successful applicants to help with their studies.
Jackie Sillars, office manager at Consolidated Minerals, said: ‘It is a scholarship that we set up three years ago for two Jersey students studying either geology or engineering.
‘It is a one-year scholarship with the chance to do work experience in Australia.
‘David was one of our scholarship students last year and after working in Australia he had gone on to Thailand for a holiday.
Applications for the scholarship should be sent to recruitment@consmin.com with an accompanying CV and covering letter by Thursday 30 April.
‘We felt it would be a nice memorial to name the scholarship after David.’
She added: ‘Last year was a very big shock to us. He was such a lovely, likeable chap and he made a big impact in Australia even though he was only there for a short period of time.’
Two Burmese nationals were arrested and charged with the murders last year.
Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo initially admitted to the murders, but withdrew their confessions claiming that they had been tortured into confessing.
The pair are due to stand trial in Thailand in July.
