Fortescue Metals Group is trying to boost its permanent Aboriginal workforce as the company moves from a construction phase into production.

The Pilbara iron ore miner says more than one in 10 Fortescue workers are indigenous, but it concedes a significant proportion of those are on contracts for construction work at its Solomon site.

After opening the company’s new Firetail mine at Solomon this week, chairman Andrew Forrest said Fortescue was working to increase its indigenous representation.

“We had about 15 per cent in construction and six per cent in operations,” Mr Forrest told reporters at the mine opening this week.

“These guys have got it up to 11 per cent and they’re not satisfied. They’re deeply dissatisfied with their progress and think they can go much higher and I’m cheering for them.”

He also dismissed concerns that Aboriginal workers were poorly represented at Solomon.

“We’re able to push more into contractors because they come and go,” he said.

“If you’re looking for the stereotypical black face, you’re probably not going to find it in the modern indigenous,” he said.

In February the company signed a deal with traditional indigenous owners to undertake up to $200 million worth of mining contracts at Solomon over five years.

Mr Forrest, who owns more than 32 per cent of the company’s stock, has long trumpeted training and working opportunities for indigenous Australians.

Fortescue is ramping up production at Firetail to 20 million tonnes per annum while its neighbouring Kings mine at Solomon targets 40 million tonnes per annum.

The company plans to expand total capacity to 155 million tonnes by the end of the year.