Aiming For Careers In Building And Mechanics
The Age
Sunday July 31, 1994
Page 1 outlined changes to apprenticeship programs. Here, Jan Pearce talks to two apprentices about their experiences in the system.
COURTNEY Bell, 17, grew up with a passion for cars. It was in the family: his father is a motor trimmer by trade (installing, repairing and replacing car seats, cushions and linings) and a collector of old vehicles. There was never much doubt in Courtney's mind that he wanted to become a motor mechanic. Getting an apprenticeship, however, was not so straightforward.
He passed Year 11 in 1993 and began Year 12 preoccupied with finding a job. ``I'd had enough of school. I wanted to work in a trade," he says. He took a couple of days off school and, with his reports, visited 30 or 40 local employers. The first question they all asked, he says, was `Have you got your school reports?' When this did not yield a job he contacted the local group training centre. After he had passed the obligatory maths and English tests a group training representative went with him to employers who might consider hiring him through the group training scheme. This did not produce a job either, but, says Courtney, it gave him practice at talking to employers and increased his confidence.
By March he still had had no luck. Then he saw an advertisement in the local paper for an apprentice to work with BMW and other quality imported cars, of the kind he was interested in. In the interview, he says, he was very straightforward.
He was told: ``We'll notify you." Behind the scenes a family friend had put in a word for him (``that did help a lot"). He was going on holidays the next day so he took the initiative and rang back to see if he had got the job. He had - over more than 90 other applicants.
Despite having been around cars for so long he is finding his apprenticeship no easy road. ``You've got to go in as if you know nothing. You've got to let them teach you. I've got a lot more work since I took that attitude. You wash a lot of cars, you sweep up, you make coffee. But that's what you've got to do."
Courtney will go to the local TAFE college for the basic part of his schooling and to a specialist BMW school for the rest.
TWENTY-three-year-old Adam Laxton began his building trade apprenticeship in Fitout and Finish (this includes skills such as bricklaying, tiling and painting and decorating) nine months ago. He had left school after Year 12 at 18 and worked in a series of jobs - as a produce assistant in a supermarket, in a sports shop and various factories. After a year he knew he wanted to ``knuckle down" and train for something. He helped his uncle on a building job and liked it. He looked around for an apprenticeship, but the building industry was in a slump and there were few openings.
His uncle, however, told him about pre-apprenticeship courses at TAFE colleges. After the 16-week course at Holmesglen TAFE he applied to BIGS and was employed. ``I'm indentured to the company (BIGS). If a guy needs an apprentice he contacts BIGS. I learn different skills with different people. I worked for four months with a window framer.
Then I worked with another framer. The way he worked was totally different. I was amazed."
When Adam completes one job he rings BIGS and is sent to another. With the building trade out of recession there have been no gaps in between.
He has also been able to shorten the length of his apprenticeship by passing competency tests ahead of schedule, and recently received the Master Builders' Association award for the best student in the Certificate of Building Construction for 1993. He expects to complete his training at the end of 1995.
© 1994 The Age