Australian Technical College

Two keen chippies set the framework for a building career
Zach Napper’s enthusiasm for his job seems to come from every pore. Considering he’s a Year 10 student whose experience in the workplace is limited to two weeks with a local building firm, it’s a sure sign he’s on the right track.

According to local builder Michael Leake, who will employ him in 2007 as a first year part-time apprentice, it was this enthusiasm that appealed to him. “Zach could barely sit still during the interview, he was so excited. He’s also pretty confident and independent which means he’ll fit in well.

“It’s hard to find good apprentices - people who can think for themselves. A lot of the young ones don’t have much concept of hardship, so they’re not as motivated as they could be to work hard. Zach really stood out, he’s passionate about learning and keen to be involved in every aspect of the job.”

Zach will be studying at the Australian Technical College – Geelong while he completes his apprenticeship with Michael Leake Constructions. One of his classmates will be Luke Hockey, who has also scored a carpentry apprenticeship. Luke will be working with Ocean Grove builder, Greg Neyenhuis, who was impressed with Luke’s desire to learn.

“He’s keen, he listens and he learns. I have a fourth year apprentice with me at the moment, who will be able to help with Luke’s training. Having three of us on site will help me get more organised and it’s also handy having a third person when you’re holding frames!” said Greg.

Luke was attracted to the building industry by the ability to work outdoors, the potential to work for himself in the future and “not be stuck under loads of bosses”. He is looking forward to learning the skills and putting them into practice every day.

“Doing an apprenticeship will also help me get to know people in the trade, get contacts and learn life skills. It’ll be a challenge to get used to working every day, but working outside will be much more enjoyable than school!”

Luke said if he hadn’t chosen to attend the College, he would have probably finished Year 12 then taken some time off before starting an apprenticeship. “This way I get to start it all early. When I’ve finished I’ll probably work for a bit then travel, but I’d like to set up my own business one day.”

A keen sailor, Luke caught the travel bug when he flew to Hungary to compete in the World Cadet Sailing Championships in July 2006. His carpentry skills will come in handy for doing his own repairs on the boat he keeps at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Zach Napper’s main hobby is bike riding and he also goes four-wheel driving regularly with his family. “Mum and Dad do a lot of building related stuff at home and I was really keen to do an apprenticeship. I thought about being an electrician but the school subjects didn’t really appeal to me.

“I enjoyed woodwork at school and I love the idea that with building you start off with timber and end up with a finished product. When I did work experience, we started off with just stringline and by the end of the day the staircase we’d done looked amazing.”

“Also, every job is different and the dust comes off easily at the end of the day!”

Zach is succinct in describing his ambition: to be a good builder. He is thrilled to be working with Michael Leake, “When I met Michael, I was really impressed. His attitude is that if we’re going to do a job, we’re going to do it right.

“When I finish, I intend to build my own home, do renovations and maybe even run my own business. But more than anything I want to be a good builder.”

If he hadn’t chosen to do his apprenticeship through the Australian Technical College – Geelong, Zach said he probably would have left school at Year 10 to do an apprenticeship. “Now I definitely want to finish Year 12 and while it may be hard to be as enthusiastic about school as I am about work, I do study!”

Ray Couchman, who is responsible for liaison between the ATC-G and industry, commends Michael Leake and Greg Neyenhuis for getting behind the new College. “Both accepted the new model with excitement and we look forward to ensuring their decision to take on apprentices works well for everyone. We have now filled our construction quota, but the ATC-G still has a few positions available for applicants in the metal fabrication and fitting streams and in the automotive trade.”

Michael Leake feels that the College approach will help the apprentices to be more accountable and learn lessons in life. He also said, “The idea of a technical-based apprenticeship is very favourable, it gives the kids good theory and knowledge of the practical application.”

Greg Neyenhuis agrees, “It’s great to start training them when they’re young. They learn the proper way to do things.”

Driving towards a satisfying futureDaniel Hayden’s recent work experience stint at Rally Motors confirmed his decision to start his career as an automotive tradesman. “I really enjoyed the work experience and had a great time. It’s definitely the sort of thing I want to do when I’m older.”

“I’ve always been interested in cars and liked to help my father work on his cars. I have a 1970 Falcon that I am converting to a GT Replica and that is the only hobby I have.”

Due to start at the Australian Technical College-Geelong in 2007, Daniel has been offered an apprenticeship with Rally Motors where he will hone his skills as a motor mechanic, while studying at the College.

“I’m really looking forward to attending the new College as I believe it will be a great help in developing my career.

“I have always wanted to be a motor mechanic or an engine rebuilder, as I enjoy working on engines. In future, I may even have my own business specializing in pre-1990 model cars.”

As well as learning specific skills that he’ll be able to use when he has a job, Daniel believes that the apprenticeship will help in a big way when he’s working for a living.

Perfect base for a future of learning
With a trade behind you there are no limits, according to Scott Tyrrell. Employed as a fitter and turner at GD Manufacturing, Scott said, “I always wanted to do a trade. It’s a qualification that you can take anywhere and it’s always there to fall back on.

“Traditionally, people may have looked down on choosing a trade-based career. But it’s a very professional career option. The things I’ve learned are awesome.”

Scott Tyrrell likes to learn. After finishing his apprenticeship at GD, Scott completed a Diploma of Engineering at night school. “It was pretty hard doing two nights a week as well as working, but what I learned was amazing. If I was to choose to do a degree in engineering, I’d definitely much rather do it with a trade behind me.

“All the maths and physics becomes so much easier when you have an application for it. We use trigonometry every day at work and the experience of how to actually apply the theory makes the study really interesting.”

Scott said the best thing about being an apprentice was the confidence it gave him. “A job would come in and I’d think ‘this is really huge task, I can’t do it’. Then I’d look back after finishing it and think ‘Wow, I did that!’”

“More than anything, an apprenticeship teaches you how to plan things. It gives you processes that spill over into how you run your life, so everything is a lot more in order. I know how to approach something in the most effective way.

“I have also learned how much more confident I am when I know what I’m talking about!”

Always pulling things apart in the shed as a kid, Scott liked the idea of disassembling, modifying, and making components and trailers. He recalls once making a boiler out of a Milo tin! These days, Scott uses his skills at home doing up a ’64 Ford XM wagon, including all the metalwork and welding and installing a V8 engine. “I also do a bit of mountain bike riding and fit up all the bearings, wheel hubs, cranks and sprockets and play around with the hydraulic suspension. I just finished building a 34-foot horse float for my neighbour -complete with kitchen, shower and double bed. And there’s still room for four horses!” he said.

Winner of Apprentice of the Year in the first year of his apprenticeship, Scott went on to come a close second in the World Skills Competition in his final year. This involved 15 participants who received a drawing of the same component, from which they had to work out the manufacturing process before machining it in the workshop. “We were judged on tolerances, finish and how far we got to completing it. Only one person finished it in the time. I made one small calculation error, otherwise I would have won it hands down. I’m still kicking myself over that!”

Scott is constantly motivated to get jobs done better, faster, more efficiently. “I’ve been a tradesman at GD for nearly three years now and I’m keen to keep honing my skills and learn new processes. The people here are awesome and there’s so much variety in what we do - no day is the same. It’s even exciting when you get called in out of work hours to meet a deadline on a job.”

Regarding his future, Scott just wants to keep learning and being challenged, “I’d like to keep doing the same sort of work but in a more intense, specialised way. The day you stop learning is the day you know you’re not interested. For me, I don’t think that day will ever come. The engineering trade offers so much opportunity to grow both professionally and personally – SO GET AMONGST IT!”

Endless opportunities for different career paths
Less than ten years after finishing his apprenticeship, Ian Clarke was managing a team of 60 tradespeople responsible for turning over $1.2 million every month. “For me, the initial appeal of fitting and turning was being able to create a product that I knew was going to be used in industry. Something tangible in the chain that would end up as a commodity, whether it was a car for Ford or a machine for Alcoa.

“The apprenticeship gave me so much more than that. It gave me the ability to move forward into a management position, the confidence to approach any task, a good general knowledge of products and an appreciation of the skills of all the other trades,” said Ian.

“The opportunities are massive,” he said. “A trade opens so many doors and pathways to different jobs and applications. For example, from an engineering trade qualification, you can move into project management, run your own business, become a sales rep, go into trucking, or specialise in one area like tool-making, bearings or hydraulics. You see the whole business cycle and have the practical knowledge of how to apply the skills.”

“You can also go back to uni at any stage and do the degree. In my experience, the best graduate engineers are always the ones that have done the trade first.”

According to Ian, there are essentially two streams of fitting and turning – the machining side which focuses on making components like shafts and gears, and the mechanical area involving installations, repairs and the fitting of components. “As a fitter and turner, you do both, but generally you become a master of one. Most companies specialise in one area or, if they do both, they have separate teams. So even as a fitter and turner, there are pathway choices.”

Doing a trade taught Ian a lot of the things he now takes for granted. “I was always good with my hands, but the skills I’ve learned mean I can fix my car and have a crack at anything mechanical. If I go into somewhere like Bunnings, instead of just standing there staring at the shelf, I can look at a product, assess its quality and judge it on a basis of why it’s good or not. We see the tools working at capacity in the workshop, so we know what will work – if a tool dies on you it’s a big frustration!”

Ian spends a typical day at GD Manufacturing managing the workload of his team, helping the tradespeople get the right process to be most efficient and dealing with clients’ needs and wants. “There’s a lot of people time and the daily workshop duties are all about making sure everything that should be there, is there,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to run my own business, but it’s a matter of balancing the risks with the responsibilities. I’ve got the skills and ability, but it takes guts too! I’m still taking steps forward where I am, so being in business for myself is still in the longer term.”

Future options and life skillsLuke Tyrrell will start 2007 as one of the first Australian School-based Apprentices (ASbAs), studying at the Australian Training College – Geelong and working at GD Manufacturing. Asked why he chose an engineering trade, 16 year-old Luke said, “I’ve always been interested in hands-on work and making things. Engineering put a name to things I like doing.

“GD Manufacturing has given me the opportunity to get experience and I’d like to make the most of that and become as good at the work as I can. I see the apprenticeship as an opportunity to gain heaps more skills that will help me stay in good employment,” he said.

“If I hadn’t chosen an apprenticeship, I would have finished Year 12 and perhaps looked at doing engineering at uni. By choosing this way, I’ll have the practical skills and experience from working and still have the chance to carry on with further education later.”

Luke is grateful to the teachers and staff at Christian College for helping with his education so far and very appreciative of the support from family and friends in his decision to start an apprenticeship. “I think doing my VCE and a part-time apprenticeship will be quite demanding, but I’m up for the challenge!” he said.

“I think the best part of being an apprentice will be doing things I like, learning new skills and getting a head start on the career I think I’ll enjoy.” A trade qualification fits nicely with Luke’s goals, “I can’t see into the future, but I would like to work full-time in the engineering field, have fun with my mates and perhaps travel overseas.”

An engineer’s appreciation of design and parts is also likely to be useful with Luke’s hobbies that include “a bit of mountain biking and sailing at Royal Geelong Yacht Club over the season.”

More than just learning specific trade skills, Luke said, “I think problem-solving is a life skill and there will be a lot of satisfaction for me to know I can build things very precisely.”

The growth of a satisfying (and handy!) careerAccording to Craig Cook, former apprentice and now a Graduate Mechanical Engineer with Alcoa, “Learning a trade really set the base for me to build my life and career. It gave me exposure to the job market early in life, and in some ways forced me to grow up quicker and become more responsible. It gave me a good set of tools to build my career on which cannot be taught from a text book or in a lecture/classroom.”

As a child, Craig was interested in all things mechanical. He often worked with his father, a mechanical inspector, on his grandparents’ farm and always enjoyed working with his hands.
“I got into the trade subjects early at high school and really enjoyed woodwork and EWP (Engineering Workshop Practice). At the end of year 10, my teacher suggested I apply for a Traineeship at Alcoa, as part of the AVTS (Alcoa Vocational Training System) program. This laid the basis for my move into the trades. I particularly enjoyed the idea that I was learning things that were actually useful in the workforce, unlike much of the high school curriculum.”

Learning skills that were needed every day appealed to Craig. Although he found some challenges during his apprenticeship, such as overcoming differences with some of the tradespeople, he also got a lot of satisfaction from what was a steep learning curve. “The apprenticeship helped me grow in self confidence and self belief early and taught me a way of thinking and looking at life. Of course at a young age earning a good wage also helped with hobbies and travel.”

As an added bonus, Craig is able to use his skills around the home and to help out friends from time to time. “The skills learned as a mechanical tradesperson are very broad and easily adaptable to some other trades. It has made me pretty handy around the home with renovations!”

Craig has just started as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer at Alcoa, seven years after completing his apprenticeship. “After completing my apprenticeship, I worked as a tradesperson in field maintenance and then in a workshop at Alcoa. From the workshop I moved into a reliability technician role working on equipment reliability. During all this I worked through a degree which I completed this year and have now taken up a graduate mechanical engineering position at Alcoa.”

As an engineer, Craig now works more on managing capital projects, problem-solving equipment failures and some design work. “As a reliability technician I worked on equipment strategies for maintenance and improving maintenance on equipment. A typical day as a tradesperson centred on repairing plant equipment, ranging from hydraulic cylinders to gearboxes, with a touch of machining every so often. As a tradesperson at Alcoa I was lucky enough to be involved with problem-solving equipment faults and helping redesign equipment to improve its reliability.”

Reflecting on his career choice, Craig said, “If I hadn’t done an apprenticeship, I probably would have been a sheep like many other students, possibly struggling through a university course I may not have enjoyed at that point in my life. I am fortunate Alcoa gave me the opportunity to become an apprentice.”

“Working in industry helped me mature as an individual. I believe I am more confident and better equipped to make decisions concerning my life and career choices. The experience I gained as an apprentice and young tradesperson helped me complete a degree in mechanical engineering, the next stage in my working career. I'm not sure what I’ll be doing in 10 years time, it depends on where the openings are in industry. I would like to further myself in the engineering field and see where it takes me; I don’t want to limit myself.”

Fabricating metals; confirming choicesWith an older brother in the engineering trade and a father working as a diesel mechanic, Cameron Hutton knew from a young age that he wanted to do an apprenticeship. “I was brought up with welders and tools and was always making things at home.

“I enjoyed the trade subjects at school and, for me, doing an apprenticeship meant that I would get to learn on the job. It’s not doing schooling for something that you don’t like in the end,” he said.

“Apprenticeships allow you to apply what you’re learning and to create a finished product that is actually useful.”

Cameron started a fabrication apprenticeship at JC Brown – Blakiston & Shortell in 2002, where he is currently employed full time. Along the way, he has added further qualifications, including a Certificate 7 in Pressure Pipe Welding and Certificate III Engineering Fabrication Trade.

A typical day would find Cameron working on a variety of tasks, from general fabrication, to welding, maintenance and repairs.

Robin McIntosh, from JC Brown’s, describes fabrication as “essentially taking basic metal profiles, cutting, shaping and forming them and then assembling them into a finished product.” He said, “It’s quite amazing, at the start of a day you might see the skeleton of what they’re working on and think ‘what on earth is that?’ – by the end of the day you may see it taking on the form of a finished piece of street furniture or the support structure for a terminal station depending on what they’re working on at the time.

“I think most of the guys would agree that it’s rewarding in itself to turn the bare essentials of metal into something that they can identify with,” he said. “An apprenticeship basically gives a practical application to something you’re already interested in.”

Cameron’s interest in making things doesn’t stop when he finishes work. He owns his own lathe and metal working equipment, which he uses for his many and varied hobbies. While he hasn’t fixed any plans for his future, Cameron is confident that he is on the right path, “Who knows where I might be in 10 years, as there are so many opportunities in this trade – it can take me anywhere,” he said.

Andrew Armstrong didn’t set out to find an apprenticeship; it was more a case of the apprenticeship finding him!

After completing Year 12, Andrew spent 12 months working on the restoration and beautification of Eastern Beach as part of a ‘work for the dole’ type program. Once the work was complete, he opted to take up the offer of a carpentry apprenticeship.

“The apprenticeship turned out to be everything I’d expected and hoped for,” said Andrew. “I learned so much, particularly by working alongside different trades.”

After three months of pre-apprenticeship training, Andrew started as a first year apprentice with a re-stumper from Melbourne and after that he worked on the Deakin wool store project and Gordon Boundary Road campus doing various works with a plastering company from Warrnambool. By his third year he was working with Garry Watson, a Portarlington builder with whom he worked for the next six or so years.

Andrew now runs his own business and is a registered builder. He is now employing three people and working on new homes, extensions and historic restoration works. He is considering taking on an Australian Technical College apprentice in 2008.

“The best thing about choosing an apprenticeship is the freedom and flexibility it gives you once you have done the hard yards and finished your time”

“Work satisfaction is the most important thing to me and I have the freedom to choose the jobs I want to do. I can also fit my work around my family and other things in my life.

“It’s Friday tomorrow, but I’m going fishing! It’s all about getting the job done and if we work hard and maybe do some overtime early in the week, we can earn ourselves time off and take it when it suits us.”