MTA Queensland will be hosting its Industry Awards Gala Dinner at the Emporium Hotel in Brisbane on the evening of Saturday,
19 November.

Bringing all sectors of the automotive industry together to celebrate the achievements of MTA Queensland members, MTA Institute apprentices, and the industry as a whole, the evening will be hosted by Ben Davis from Channel Seven, who will be joined by special guest Dean Boxall, the award-winning Australian swimming coach who has guided several of the nation’s top competitors, including current double Olympic Champion Ariarne Titmus, to glory in the pool.

The highlights of the evening, as ever, will be the announcement of the winners of the MTA Queensland awards. In last month’s edition of Motor Trader, we published the details of the amazing individuals and businesses that are finalists in the Community award, the Innovation award, and the Women In Industry award categories.

In this month’s edition, and over the next few pages, we focus on the incredibly talented group of finalists in the running for the MTA Queensland Apprentice of the Year award.

They represent the future of the automotive industry and it is no small achievement to shine while training and working in an industry that is changing at such pace. New challenges and new technologies – including the rise of electrified vehicles – demand much of those working across all sectors, and these 12 finalists have been exceptional in rising to those challenges with dedication, zeal, and plenty of skill. Noteworthy too, is that amongst the 12 are three women, proving that the male-centric view that is often held of our industry is becoming outdated.

All of these finalists excelled during their apprenticeship training and are already winners, having been presented with the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month award at some stage over the past 12 months. That, in itself, is something to be proud of, as the MTA Institute (RTO No. 31529) – the largest independent provider of automotive apprenticeship and training in Queensland – is currently training more than 2200 students across the state. It takes quite a bit to stand out in that crowd!

However, there can be only one winner of the Apprentice of the Year award and that person will be revealed on November 19. Congratulations to them all on their achievements so far, and good luck!

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology 

Employer During Apprenticeship: Cam Duffy Autos

Mitchell Johnston was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month award winner for September 2021.

The then 18-year-old had, in fact, just completed his light vehicle apprenticeship when Motor Trader spoke with him about winning the award.

Starting his training when he was just 15, Mitchell showed plenty of passion for the work and enthusiasm to learn, and impressed throughout his apprenticeship with his work ethic and skills.

“Mitchell has demonstrated focus in training visits, has always complied with requests, and completed training tasks to a very high standard,” said his MTA Institute trainer Scott Buckley at the time. “I have seen Mitchell grow with knowledge and confidence in his light vehicle mechanical trade and I believe he will become a top technician.”

Mitchell completed his apprenticeship at, and still works for, Cam Duffy Autos in Malanda, Far North Queensland, and started work there as a school-based apprentice.

His family owns a dairy farm and a concrete business, so he grew up around trucks and heavy machinery, helping out where he could and where, he said, he ‘loved to get involved’.

While that meant that initially he was interested in becoming a heavy vehicle technician, chances to get an apprenticeship in that trade were limited, so he took the chance to get into the industry and start learning when a light vehicle apprenticeship opportunity emerged at Cam Duffy Autos.

With the business being involved in everything from general vehicle servicing to autoglass to wheel alignments and pretty much everything in between, Mitchell has been able to gain experience across many vehicle maintenance requirements.

“The opportunity was close to home, was in the industry, and doing what I enjoyed,” he said. “And we do a wide variety of work here. We work on passenger vehicles, 4WDs, light trucks, caravans – all sorts of things. There’s quite a variety of work, although I prefer working on older vehicles and engines – anything that is a bit older really.”

As Cam Duffy Autos is also an RACQ Approved Repairer and RACQ Road Service Contractor, Mitchell also gets the opportunity to get mobile.

“I do enjoy getting out on the road doing RACQ work,” he said. “There’s a lot of travelling and having to think on the spot, and I like a challenge.”

Having trained with the MTA Institute and Scott Buckley since the beginning of his apprenticeship, Mitchell said that the Institute’s model of one-on-one training at the student’s place of employment was one that he could readily recommend.

“I didn’t have to travel away for weeks at a time, and it was all done at the workshop,” he said. “You get a lot more time with the trainer and are able to go through things a lot better. The other way of training – when you go away for a time to learn – does mean you get to meet new people and make new contacts, but the Institute training did work well for me.”

While he is now qualified as a light vehicle mechanic, Mitchell, like many young people entering the industry, is aware of the changes in vehicle tech that are on the horizon such as electric vehicles. More training, he said, is likely to feature down the track, and he is keen to follow up on his first interest – heavy vehicle – while gaining plenty of experience at Cam Duffy Autos.

“I’d like to stay here for a few years,” he said. “I am really enjoying it, I really like working with the people here, and I do need to thank Cam and Andrea for giving me the chance at the apprenticeship, and my mum and dad for supporting me.

“I haven’t had a lot to do with electric vehicles, so I’ll see what happens there and adapt to the changes as they happen, but one day I would like to go into heavy vehicle and maybe even have my own mobile heavy vehicle business.”

Mitchell will have plenty of support at the Industry Award Dinner evening, with his parents and six of his colleagues from Cam Duffy Autos making the trip down from Malanda to cheer him on. He was, he said, looking forward to the night, regardless of who amongst the finalists picks up the Apprentice of the Year award.

“Being from a small town, it’ll be something quite different to be down in the big city,” he said. “We all deserve to be there, so we’ll wait and see what happens, but I’m sure it will be a good night!”

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology 

Employer During Apprenticeship: Insane Performance

Todd Marshall was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for October 2021.

The 39-year-old completed his light vehicle apprenticeship in September last year with Insane Performance in Rockhampton and today runs his own business, TM Performance and Fabrication, building and modifying drag and race cars.

Starting an automotive apprenticeship in your mid-30s is something of an unusual move, but Todd has always had a passion for cars. He helped his father work on his cars, and has owned, modified and built drag racing cars since he was a teenager – a pastime that enabled him to develop fabricating and welding skills that he could easily build a career around.

However, as sometimes happens, a person can find themselves following a different path than the one that seems obvious and Todd would spend several years as a qualified butcher, then several more in the construction industry, during which time he would gain a Certificate III in Chemical Processing while working at a chemical plant. But it was those skills learned building his own cars that would ultimately see Todd make the switch to the automotive industry.

“I have always been into cars, and drag racing in particular,” said Todd when Motor Trader caught up with him last year after he picked up the Apprentice of the Month award. “Since I was 18, I have always had a drag car or a streetcar, and I have always worked on them myself, making what I needed.”

Todd’s skillset becomes apparent when you catch a glimpse of his current drag car – a 1975 Ford Cortina that can run the quarter-mile in 8.2 seconds at 162mph (260km/h).

“I’ve had that car for about five years and bought it as a drag car, but it was sort of unfinished,” he said. “It was really a shell with a roll cage when I got it, and I rebuilt the roll cage, built the differential – the diff housing – the rear suspension, fabricated the front suspension, used lightweight components, and the engine is a turbocharged LS1 that runs on methanol and produces about 1000hp (745kW). My focus is 1/8-mile racing and I have done a 5.1 at 120mph (193km/h).”

It was for these skills, developed over years, that Todd ended up working with Insane Performance. The business offers a broad range of services – from logbook servicing and general repairs and maintenance of regular passenger vehicles, through to 4WD diesel ECU remapping and DPF solutions, to full-on performance work including race car fabrication and engine upgrades. It’s a place where Todd could fit right in.

“When I finished up at the chemical plant, I thought I might have a couple of months off work, but a mate showed me on Facebook that Insane Performance were looking for someone and I ended up there,” he said. “I started as a fabricator, doing work on exhausts and race cars, but about three months after starting, I was offered an apprenticeship.”

While working for Insane Performance had been a great experience, the pull to be his own boss and focus on building cars was strong, and things fell quickly into place for Todd to branch out on his own.

“I was happy at Insane Performance, but I have always done drag car fabrication and I was continually having people approach me to work on their cars,” said Todd. “I got offered a workshop at the right price and thought, ‘I’m not getting any younger, I should probably give it a crack’.

“So now I have my workshop and build complete cars for people,” he said. “They come in with a shell and I can fit them out with a roll cage to ANDRA/IHRA requirements, I build the differentials, the four-link system, the front suspension system, and fabricate fuel tanks. Some come in and I build the complete chassis out of tube.

“The majority of my work is roll cages and diff conversions, drag race chassis and suspension set-ups, but I am about to start a road-legal drag car which means there are a lot more boxes to tick, as I have to take into consideration the Australian Design Rules.”

Todd is planning to be at the awards night and said he was proud to be a finalist for the Apprentice of the Year award. He recognised too what the boost of winning the award might do for his fellow finalists and is very relaxed about the outcome on the night.

“I am very pleased to be a finalist, 100 per cent,” he said. “But it maybe that the award would be better off going to one of the younger finalists. However, I am looking forward to coming down and having a few beers and enjoying the evening!”

Qualification: AUR31120 Certificate II in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: Trucks on the Run

Andrew Shepherd was the Apprentice of the Month for November 2021.

The 24-year-old completed his Heavy Commercial Vehicle apprenticeship last year and works at Trucks On The Run in Toowoomba, a business that offers truck and trailer repairs and maintenance, mobile and on-site servicing, and a 24/7 breakdown service.

Andrew started with the business in 2016, working first as a casual trades assistant before being offered an apprenticeship. Having grown up on the family farm and being used to helping to repair and maintain the machinery that a farm needs to function, Andrew was well prepared to take on a mechanical trade.

His original choice of trade was something agricultural but, at the time, opportunities were rare.

“I grew up around tractors, trucks, ploughs, and planters so I have always had a mechanical interest and a basic knowledge of how some things work,” said Andrew when he talked to Motor Trader last year.

“When I finished school in 2014, I was looking at getting in as a tractor mechanic but there wasn’t a huge demand for apprentices. So, I spent time on the farm and then I got a job as a casual trades assistant at Trucks On The Run and was offered the apprenticeship after about 8 months.

“It is a great place to work. We are looked after really well, everyone gets along and, while it is laid back, we do a great standard of work.”

And there is plenty of work to be done. Transport, agriculture and mining are big parts of the region’s economy, so the heavy commercial industry is essential and Trucks On The Run’s services mean Andrew and the team get plenty of experience.

“We do breakdowns – we’re on call 24/7 – and we have contracts to service trailers and trucks and do on-site repairs and so on. I get to do a fair bit of that,” he said. “Back at base, we do the big jobs like rebuilds on motors, clutches, and discs, as well as steering and suspension, and a bit of auto electrical. We basically cover the whole machine – truck and trailer – from front to back.”

Regarding his training, Andrew said he was glad to have switched to MTA Institute after a couple of false starts with other organisations. The Institute’s in-the-workplace, one-on-one method of training delivery worked well for him, he said, and Wayne Abrahams, his trainer, had delivered great support.

“It was a good run once I came over to MTA Institute,” said Andrew. “And during the times when we were really busy and I had a bit of trouble keeping up with my theory study, Wayne made room for that and helped along. The support was great all around.”

Over the past year, Andrew has taken on more responsibility and more technical jobs at Trucks On The Run, including more diagnostic and top-end electrical work, as well as helping to supervise the current crop of five apprentices at the workshop.

In the long run, however, Andrew said that he may look at a return to his agricultural roots.

“Long term I think I would like to go farming,” he said. “When I was on the farm, I would sometimes watch the professional mechanics come in and do their stuff and I always wanted to be able to do that – to be able to look at something, know what was wrong with it and fix it. And now I can do that, and that
is a dream come true.”

Andrew will be attending the Industry Awards Gala Dinner and said he had no expectations beyond having a good night.

“I am excited to see who gets the award, and meeting everyone and learning their backgrounds and where they stand amongst it all,” he said. “It’ll be great, and I am really looking forward to it.”

Qualification: AUR30320 Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: Mackay Transit Coaches

A YOUNG AND enthusiastic apprentice can often bring new and exciting ideas to a workplace, and Britain Leotta, the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for December 2021, is one such person.

The 20-year-old works for Mackay Transit Coaches – which operates school, urban route, mine transfer and charter/tour services – and is now in the third year of his auto electrical apprenticeship. Britain has impressed not only with his passion for the job and his skill level, but with his initiative.

For example, when Motor Trader first spoke with him when he won the Apprentice of the Month award, Britain was using his interest in the relatively new area of 3D printing to manufacture cost-effective replacement parts. For example, when the cover of an Allison transmission controller needed replacing, rather than waiting for a new part – which would have involved purchasing the whole controller unit for around $1000 – it was Britain who came up with the idea that the plastic cover could, in fact, be replaced with a 3D printed part for a fraction of the cost. And Britain was able to make that part himself – for a cost of just $12!

With hundreds of other parts able to be replicated this way, it’s no wonder Britain has begun to print other components as well.

“I have printed parts such as door handles and things like that, because in some cases you can’t buy them at all,” he said. “To do that, I get the broken part, measure it with a vernier and model it using Inventor – which is a 3D graphic design program – and then print them out.”

In fact, in the past few months, Britain has grown what was a hobby to become a fledgling business – 3D Print And Design Mackay – creating parts from battery adapters to custom tool box organisers, using four 3D printers.

It’s well known that OEM manufacturers use 3D printing for fast prototyping, or to make replacement parts for their classic cars. For a 20-year-old apprentice to be doing essentially the same thing is an eye-opener and it is just this type of initiative that has marked Britain out as a standout employee and student. It is also the progression you might expect to see in someone who has, since he was a small child, been fascinated with discovering just how things work.

“I’ve always been a tinkerer,” he said. “My parents hated it because everything I got for Christmas lasted about a month! I would pull apart remote control cars to see how they worked. And that led me to decide to be an engineer.

“In Year 10, I did some work experience with an auto electrician, and I loved it. I decided engineering wasn’t for me and kept going with the work experience.”

Actually, Britain did several stints of unpaid work experience with different shops before securing the apprenticeship at Mackay Transit Coaches. It’s no surprise to find he is just as enthusiastic about his work there.

“We work mostly on buses, and I love the problem-solving aspect of the job,” he said. “You have an issue, and you have to think about what caused it and test and diagnose. I enjoy that.”

With the electric vehicle (EV) revolution now underway, Britain knows that EVs will play a part in his future. As an auto-electrical apprentice, he is in as good a position as anyone to adapt and is happy that Mackay Transit Coaches will likely give him the chance to upskill.

“I am definitely going to stay in the same field and move into the high-voltage work,” he said. “And I am very happy to be here. It is a great company to work for.”

Britain will be attending the Industry Award Gala Dinner with his partner and parents and said that he was looking forward to being a part of the event.

“I could not be more excited,” he said. “I don’t know who if I’ll get the award, but I am just excited about the night, and to have already received the Apprentice of the Month was a big honour.”

Qualification: AUR31120 Certificate III in Heavy Vehicle Commerical Vehicle Mechanical Technology 

Employer During Apprenticeship: BMAS Biloela

Emily Hodda was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for January 2022.

The 21-year-old works at BMAS Biloela in Central Queensland, has already completed her light vehicle apprenticeship and, at the end of last year, started training for her Heavy Commercial Vehicle qualification.

That’s impressive stuff for someone that age, and it is even more so when considering Emily is also an Approved Examiner, has her automotive air conditioning licence, and has undertaken extensive training in other areas, including in agricultural equipment.

Perhaps it is not surprising Emily is already so skilled, as BMAS Biloela is clearly a good place to learn the automotive trades. The business had one of its team as a finalist for last year’s MTA Queensland Apprentice of the Year award, and with the company offering so many services to its community – in addition to offering regular mechanical services it is a dealership for farm machinery including from companies such as Massey-Ferguson and Deutz – the opportunities to learn are broad and wide-ranging.

Emily’s dedication to the work has seen her take every training opportunity available, and that passion stems from a childhood which saw her grow up around farming equipment.

“I’ve always been interested in the mechanical side of things,” she said. “My parents own a property – doing agricultural work and some farming – and I was always following dad around. Then, for work experience in Year 11, I came here to BMAS and they offered me an apprenticeship. I started a school-based apprenticeship when I was 17 and began full time when I finished school.”

Kicking off with the light vehicle apprenticeship, the plan for Emily has always been to learn more and delve into the broad range of automotive work.

“At BMAS, we cover a wide variety of vehicles – light and heavy, and a lot of farm machinery,” she said. “So I started on the light vehicles and have worked my way up.

“While the Covid situation has made things a little bit hard, there have certainly been a lot of opportunities to give it a crack and learn new things.”

Her apprenticeship training – both light vehicle and heavy commercial –has been delivered by the MTA Institute, and the Institute’s one-on-one, in-the-workshop method of training is, said Emily, one that has been really valuable.

“I find it quite beneficial. If there’s something you don’t understand, especially if it is a module you are doing, you can ask questions and then walk out into the workshop and get hands-on,” she said. “And the trainers have been great.”

As with most young apprentices, Emily recognises that electrified vehicles (EVs) will be an important part of the industry, and that while her interests may be in areas other than road-going passenger vehicles, more training is likely.

“That is where the future is going and we will have to do our best to get on top of the diagnostics and everything else that comes through over the next few years,” she said.

“I do have a huge passion for the agricultural industry, so I think a part of me, in the next 10 years, would like to explore that a bit more, but I’ll certainly still do the mechanical side of things and just keep learning.”

Time is on Emily’s side. She will likely complete her Heavy Commercial in the next couple of months thanks to the recognition of prior learning accomplished through her light vehicle qualification and will be dual-qualified and have a bundle of other certificates and qualifications to her name by the time she turns 22. With all that to her name, Emily should have no problem finding plenty of work to occupy her time.

Her future looks bright, and busy, and she has the Industry Awards Gala Dinner to look forward to as well, which Emily will be attending with her partner and parents. She was, she said, honoured to be named amongst the top MTA Institute apprentices.

“I’m grateful to have my work recognised and to have been given this opportunity to be a finalist,” she said.

Qualification: AUR31020 Certificate III in Automotive Sales (Parts Interpreting)

Employer During Apprenticeship: Central Bike Centre

Grace Campbell was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for February 2022.

The 22-year-old, who works for Central Bike Centre in Emerald, has just completed her automotive sales (parts interpreting) apprenticeship and during her training Grace proved to be an excellent student, impressing both her employer and trainer with her work ethic, customer service and product knowledge.

“Grace is an exemplary employee displaying learning, personal behavioural characteristics and skills of the highest standard and order,” said Ross and Andrea Drayton, Grace’s Employers, when she picked up the Apprentice of the Month award.

“Her level of attention to customer care and service is exceptional, supported by her ability to provide full-circle support through her product knowledge.”

As a parts interpreter, Grace talks to customers regularly to find out their exact needs and recommend the appropriate parts. She must identify the different make, model and variations of vehicles, motorcycles, and power equipment, and assist customers in finding the right product.

“Grace is constantly on the move, answering phones, dealing with customers both external and internal. I have never met anyone that applies themselves to their job as she does and enjoys every minute of their day,” said Andrew Keys, Grace’s MTA Institute Trainer.

But to Grace, this is just one small part of the job.

“It’s not just about getting the work done, it’s talking to customers, seeing how their day is and giving them a great experience. You want them leaving the shop thinking ‘wow that was easy’,” she said.

Grace’s helpfulness and dedication to the job is paying off, with one of the shop’s regular farming customers giving her the nickname “Amazing Grace”.

Working in automotive was not originally something on Grace’s radar, but when the opportunity to begin an apprenticeship came up, Grace was eager to get involved.

“Ross and Andrea are good family friends. One day I was visiting their workshop and they mentioned they needed an apprentice. The automotive industry offers so many pathways to go down, so of course I was keen to get started.”

Nearly four years later, Grace is still enjoying every minute of it.

“I am really happy working here. It’s just the seven of us in the shop, so we are all really close. They are like a second family to me.

“Working here, you’re smiling when you get to the shop and still smiling when you go home.”

Having trained with MTA Institute throughout her apprenticeship, Grace said that the in-person, one-on-one training at the student’s place of employment was one she could readily recommend.

“Andrew is a fantastic trainer. Once you have completed your workbook, he will sit with you and go through the answers – what you did well, what could have been improved. He really takes the time to explain the different areas, so you have a good understanding of them.”

With her apprenticeship now complete, Grace is looking to continue her studies with a Diploma in Business – a 12-to-24-month course she has applied to complete at Central Queensland University.

“I really enjoyed doing my three years with the MTA Institute and they encouraged me to continue my educational journey,” said Grace. “I am looking at doing that diploma now that you guys have helped me through my Cert III, and I have applied to start that at the beginning of November.”

Grace will be at the Industry Award Gala with her partner and Central Bike Centre owners Ross and Andrea. And she is, she said, proud to be a finalist for MTA Queensland’s top student award.

“I’d like to think I have a chance for Apprentice of the Year, and I am excited and nervous,” she said.

“I don’t go to Brisbane very often, so it will be good to see the city a bit, and be great to meet everyone and all the other finalists.”

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology 

Employer During Apprenticeship: Done Right Automotive

Some young people are lucky enough to know what they want to do as a career from an early age. Such was the fate of Jack Farraway, the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for March 2022.

The 19-year-old, third-year light vehicle apprentice has been working at Done Right Automotive in Charters Towers since he was just 14 and, according to his trainer at the time of his award win, his ‘commitment to his training, development, and employment . . . is outstanding.’

Having finished school at the end of 2021, Jack has been with the business full time only since January this year but has been a highly valued member of the Done Right team from the start when he began working at the shop a couple of afternoons a week after school. It wasn’t long before he had secured a school-based apprenticeship position.

“It was clear from early on he had the potential and was eager to learn,” said Done Right owner Mick Blacklock. “He soon became a part of the furniture.

“Jack’s positive attitude and willingness to learn and achieve is outstanding and makes him a valuable member of our team. His interactions with customers and suppliers, combined with his maturity and respect for his peers and workplace demonstrates his understanding of his position within the business and automotive industry . . . We can’t speak highly enough of him. We have struck gold with this man!”

Jack has always been interested in cars and would help his dad work on his when he could. He even got his hands on his own vehicle nice and early, owning a 1996 Patrol since he was 13 – a useful project car for a young man fascinated by the workings of the combustion engine and all things automotive.

“I have always enjoyed cars and how it all works has always interested me. The technology, and how it has come such a long way in a short amount of time, blows my mind,” he said when speaking to Motor Trader earlier this year.

That fascination with the technology is still strong, and Jack said it is the challenges that the mechanical trade can throw his way that makes the work especially interesting.

“We work on pretty much everything here,” he said. “Any job from general services to replacing engines – we can do anything on any make and model. And I like the long, technical jobs that come in – the challenging ones. Doing work you might not have done before, and learning the things needed to complete that job – there’s a sense of accomplishment when you complete that kind of work.”

Having trained with the MTA Institute since he started his apprenticeship – now with trainer Gavin Jacobs but beginning with the late and much-missed trainer Richard Matthews – Jack said the one-on-one, in-the-workplace training model delivered by the Institute was one he enjoyed.
“Both my trainers have been excellent, and the MTA Institute training works really well for me,” he said. “Anything I am struggling with or need to understand better, then Gavin can go in-depth on that with me, and that really helps.”

Jack’s apprenticeship is expected to be completed toward the end of 2023, and he already has some ideas about where his career may head. He also recognises that the industry is changing rapidly, and more training is likely in the future.

“I am interested in diesels, and I think I might go for my diesel qualification,” he said. “And I know electric vehicles are coming, even if it seems unlikely we’ll see many of them out here for a while, so I would certainly be interested in learning about them.

“I wouldn’t mind having my own workshop at some point, and I would like to get more into the performance side of things. That really is interesting – making something that shouldn’t be going very fast, go fast. That does get me going!”

Jack will be attending the Industry Awards Dinner with his mum and perhaps some workmates too, and he is, as many of the other finalists are, delighted to have been recognised for his work.

“I’m both confident and nervous about the night,” he said. “But I do feel proud to be a part of it and to whoever wins, good on them and congratulations!”

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: GMW Mechanical & Towing

Timothy Louden was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for April 2022. The 20-year-old is about to start the fourth year of his light vehicle apprenticeship and has been working at GMW Mechanical & Towing in Gladstone since he was 17.

According to his trainer, Nev Donaldson, Timothy ‘is very keen with his training, all work is completed on time, and he researches areas to extend his knowledge. He will make a great mechanic and is a pleasure to train.’

Stepping into an automotive apprenticeship was always something that Timothy had in mind. His father is a transport Inspector and a trained mechanic and, naturally enough, Timothy found plenty of his childhood was spent helping dad out.

“My dad had his own business and I used to go over there after school and help and watch what he was doing. I used to get stuff, pull it all apart and see how it goes back together. I always liked that,” said Timothy.

“When I finished Grade 11, I got the job here,” he added. “My dad knows the owners, John and Libby, and he let them know I was looking for a bit of work and they asked me to come in for an interview. I went for it, and I haven’t looked back.”

Working at GMW means Timothy gets to work on a very wide range of vehicles and jobs. The business offers maintenance and repairs on all makes and models (petrol and diesel) – including caravans, RVs, and motorhomes – and, as a towing business too and RACQ repairer, just about any problem can appear at the workshop.

“We do pretty much everything here,” said Timothy. “And I get to work on all of that – including the service and repairs of caravans which could be brakes, springs, axles, wheel bearings and so on – as well as do engine swaps and cylinder head work.

“I really like the variety of work we get. There’s something different every day,” he added. “I really enjoy working on the mechanical internals of motors – swapping cylinder heads over and that sort of thing. That is very interesting.”

Having trained with the MTA Institute since he began his apprenticeship, Timothy said that the one-on-one training the Institute delivered was proving to be a beneficial way to learn. He also added that future training – given the direction the industry was heading and the technology involved, especially with electrification and electric vehicles (EVs) – was almost certain.

“I hope there will be more training,” he said. “I don’t think many places know too much about them [EVs] apart from dealerships, so I will look to do some EV training and it will be quite interesting to learn that aspect of things.”

As for his long-term future, while he has an eye on EVs and how the industry is changing, the work he does now is something he would like to continue to do.

“I see myself staying here for a while once I have finished my apprenticeship,” he said. “From there, I wouldn’t mind having my own business one day, and try and keep things as we do here – I enjoy the system that we have and what we do.”

Qualification: AUR30320 Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology 

Employer During Apprenticeship: Longreach Motors 

Nathan Faggotter was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for May 2022.

The 19-year-old has been working at Longreach Motors in Longreach since the beginning of 2020, is now in the third year of his auto electrical apprentice and has become an integral member of the workshop team.

Stepping into an automotive apprenticeship was not something that had initially crossed Nathan’s mind. However, as can often happen, a chance opportunity opened up a world of possibilities, and a work experience stint at Longreach Motors was the key to showing Nathan that a career as an auto electrician might be just the thing for him.

That opportunity came three years ago when Nathan’s school had a work experience initiative in place for those in Year 10, meaning Nathan had to find something to do for a week. His dad – a small motors mechanic by trade – reached out to Longreach Motors to see if there might be a spot for his son. There was, and things quickly fell into place even though Nathan had no knowledge of, and little interest in, auto electrical work.

“I did a week of work experience here and I really enjoyed it,” Nathan said when speaking to Motor Trader about his Apprentice of the Month win back in May. “I was working with the auto electrician, and we did mobile work, as well as plenty in the workshop, and that whole week was great. I was hooked.”

A short time later, Nathan was back to do another week at the shop and then approached Longreach Motors’ owners to see if there was room to take him on full time as an apprentice. There was, and he started the apprenticeship within a few days.
Two-and-a-half years later and Nathan is as enthusiastic about the job as he was after that first week of work experience. And while he works predominantly on auto electric jobs, thanks to the range of services on offer at Longreach Motors he is being stretched and challenged in other areas too.

The business is member of the Tyrepower network and offers mechanical, electrical, diagnostic, maintenance, accessory fitting, and a host of other services for vehicles ranging from passenger cars to heavy trucks to utes, caravans and RVs. It’s a stimulating environment for a young apprentice to learn their trade.

“I get to work on mechanical jobs – servicing, repairs, tyre fitting, accessory fitting through ARB – so there’s always plenty going on,” said Nathan.

“And I enjoy being able to have that knowledge of how to do those jobs, even though I do really enjoy the electrical side of things.”
With battery-electric vehicles and hybrids sure to become more common over the next few years, Nathan’s interest in, and knowledge of, auto electrical technology will be very useful. Electric vehicles may also play a part in his planned future pursuit of a career as a business owner.

“I think about electric vehicles all the time and I am very interested in extending my learning further about them,” he said. “They will be a very big part of the industry’s future and especially my trade, so training on electric and hybrid vehicles really interests me.

“And I am very interested in business,” he added. “Most of my family have some sort of tie with businesses – either owning one or being a major part of one – and that really does interest me. Hopefully, one day down the line, I will be able to have a business of my own.”

Nathan will be attending the Industry Awards Gala Dinner with his partner, and whether he wins the Apprentice of the Year award or not, he said he was honoured to have the effort he had put in through his apprenticeship recognised by being a finalist.

“I am nervous about the evening, and I can’t say I am confident, but I am very proud and very grateful to be where I am and to be a finalist,” he said.

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast

Klarah Cassar-Tan’s name probably looks familiar. And well it should, for while Klarah was named the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for June 2022, the 19-year-old – who works at Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast and is now well into her fourth year of training to become a light vehicle mechanic – was also Apprentice of the Month for April 2021 and a finalist for the prestigious MTA Queensland Apprentice of the Year award last year.
Taking out the Apprentice of the Month award twice is a pretty good indication of Klarah’s outstanding qualities as an apprentice and employee and Klarah was, naturally, proud to have won the award for the second time, though shocked to have done the double.

“It was very unexpected, and I was like ‘What the hell!’ when my trainer called to tell me,” she said when Motor Trader spoke to her in June. “I am so honoured to have received it again.”

Perhaps Klarah’s success should not come as a surprise. Fascinated by cars for as long as she can remember, she leapt at the chance of an apprenticeship at the earliest opportunity.

“My school was organising work experience opportunities, and when we were asked what we would like to do, I instantly said motor mechanics,” she said. “It has always interested me, and I really wanted to have a go with Mercedes-Benz. I went to do a week of work experience and was then offered a school-based apprenticeship. It was all very exciting.

“I have been here since 2018 when I was doing one day a week as part of that school-based apprenticeship and started here full time in July 2019. I have no regrets. I’m very lucky to be working for Mercedes-Benz. I love it so much.”

While those words were spoken in 2020, when Klarah was first a finalist for the Apprenitce of the Year award, she said the feeling has remained unchanged. What has changed, however, is the excitement, and a slight sense of nerves, as the anticipation of completing her trade qualification nears.

“It has come to the point where it is like ‘What is going to happen when I qualify?’,” she said. “There’s the added pressure of more responsibility and working on cars by yourself, and although I do that already, as an apprentice you obviously are still in the learning stages and not expected to know everything. It’s an exciting prospect and I am just trying to learn as much as I can.”

And there will be plenty more to learn. There is no expectation that an apprentice/tradesperson will know everything the moment they receive their trade qualification, and in the evolving, highly technical and innovative world of automotive, training is a career-long exercise.

This is certainly true in the cutting-edge workshops of Mercedes-Benz which are beginning to see the results of the company’s move into electric vehicles.

“We have our new AMG EQS 53 here and that has been a real highlight of the year,” said Klarah. “I haven’t worked on it yet, but I have done some training to go towards becoming an EV technician.

“Only certain people can work on those cars as you need to go through so many courses before you get to that stage, but I am currently on that pathway. It will take quite a while, but I have started.

“I am so proud to be in the industry as it is going through this change. I am very lucky.”

Once again, Klarah will be attending the Industry Awards Gala, and said that, whether she wins the Apprentice of the Year award or not, she is proud to have been recognised for her abilities and for her progress.

“I feel like I have already achieved way more than I could ever have imagined,” she said.

“It would be awesome to win, but at the end of the day, if I don’t, I know I have come a long way.”

Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: Auto Giant

Lucas Giacoboni was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for July 2022.

The 20-year-old, third-year light vehicle apprentice has been working at Auto Giant in Brendale, Brisbane, for just over two years and has impressed both his trainer and employer with the quality of his work, his dedication to the job, and his determination to improve.

“Lucas has an ability to do things others can’t do,” said Tony Fasano, director of Auto Giant. “He is able to accept feedback and use that feedback to drive forward to success. He is always looking to better himself. He loves to add value to himself and his team and Auto Giant.”

A career working with cars was something that Lucas had in mind from when he was at school. Many members of his family are car enthusiasts, and he spent much time during his childhood helping his father and uncles with their cars.

“I would help dad and then, when I got my first car, I would work on that when I got home from school,” he said. “They have always been a big passion of mine and working on them as a career was something that I wanted to pursue.”

That desire for a career in automotive was strengthened after working at a Subaru dealership while still at school, and the interest was still strong after his return from an extended trip overseas that he took after he had finished his school education.

“I worked at Subaru one day a week for a year and it was good fun and I learned a lot,” he said. “I did get offered a job at the end of it, but I had decided to go to Italy to visit family. When I came back, I was looking for a job and I discovered Tony’s profile. I read about his background in motorsport and that really stood out to me.

“He wasn’t looking for an apprentice at the time, but a couple of months later he got back to me and gave me a chance. I have been here ever since.”

Auto Giant offers passionate, aspiring mechanics like Lucas plenty of learning opportunities. The business offers a huge range of services on all makes and models of cars and trucks, including mechanical maintenance and repairs, diagnostic testing, suspension airbag sales and installation, auto electrical servicing and repairs, and diesel repairs and engine reconditioning, to name just a few.

Working in that environment is challenging, said Lucas, and something he really enjoys.

“You name it, we do it here,” he said. “We might start the day with a valve clearance on a Landcruiser, then you’re doing an oil filter housing on a VW, and then after that, who knows, it just keeps going and you never know what you’re going to get!”

Like many other apprentices, Lucas knows the technology revolution in vehicles will impact the wider automotive industry and having the skills to work on hybrid and electric vehicles will be a necessity. With that in mind, more training is a certainty down the track.

“After I finish this light vehicle training, I do want to do a hybrid course and auto electrical training and other courses that deal with that side of things,” he said. “That is the direction the industry is going – it’s all ECUs and BCMs – and I want to have an understanding of that. You have to move with it or fall behind.”

He will likely get that training and absorb that knowledge at an innovative enterprise like Auto Giant.

“I do want to stay here well past the completion of my apprenticeship,” said Lucas. “There is so much knowledge in this workshop and so much I can learn here that I want to stay and get as much knowledge as I can. Far from now, I may open my own workshop, but for now it’s about keeping doing what I am doing and getting better every day.”

With his 21st birthday landing on the day of the Industry Awards Gala, Lucas is hoping for the ultimate birthday gift. Whether he wins the Apprentice of the Year award or not, however, Lucas is proud that his achievements have been recognised with a spot as a finalist.

“It will be a fantastic night and I am excited to meet everybody involved, including the other 11 apprentices who are finalists and pick their brains about the knowledge they have,” he said. “It will be a great event and, fingers crossed, if I win apprentice of the year, that will be fantastic.”

Qualification: AUR32420 Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology

Employer During Apprenticeship: Allspec Coatings

Phoenix Ah-Toon was the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for August 2022.

The 21-year-old is in the third year of his automotive refinishing technology apprenticeship with Allspec Coatings, a subsidiary of waste management company J.J. Richards Engineering, and is proving to be, according to his supervisor David Cragnolini and MTA Institute trainer Alfio Rotolone, a highly skilled employee who is always trying to improve his skills and learn new ones while bringing precision and speed to his work.

These are useful abilities and traits to bring to his job and the environment at the J.J. Richards Engineering depot in Yatala, south of Brisbane, where Phoenix is based.

The huge facility is where the company – Australia’s largest privately owned waste management company – builds its waste disposal trucks. The trucks, either Scanias or Volvos, arrive at the depot in basic form, without a body or any of the necessary hydraulics or other fitments. Those elements are fabricated and constructed on-site at Yatala, with the body going through the huge Allspec Coatings workshop for sandblasting and painting before being joined to the truck. It really is an impressive set-up.

The Allspec Coatings division numbers four employees, including two apprentices, and working here has given Phoenix the opportunity not only to learn the painting trade, but to get other tickets too, including his forklift and dogman (someone who is qualified to work on moving loads using overhead cranes and hoists) licences. While he has yet to work in the huge sandblasting booth, that also is something he is looking forward to being trained to do.

It’s been an interesting three years for Phoenix who, at age 19 and after working for a while in retail, began to search for an apprenticeship role. Uncertain what that might be, he reached out to Busy At Work, who put him in touch with J.J. Richards. It was a great call.

“I’ve always enjoyed working on cars and doing them up, that was my hobby, and I definitely enjoy what I am doing now,” said Phoenix. “And I feel like I am slowly getting better, and I am always looking to improve.

“That’s what I like – that there’s always different ways you can improve. It’s not going to be the same thing every time. I like that I am in the booth, but also outside of it I am setting things up and getting stuff ready for people and so on.

“And there is also the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made something look that good when its painted,” he added. “That’s especially true of the refurbs that we sometimes get. They can arrive looking pretty bad but then you sand it, get it all painted, and then it looks pretty mint going out.”

The painting work at Allspec Coatings is a little different from the regular automotive set-up. The trucks are rugged and put through hard work, so the painting is more industrial in nature than the norm, enabling Phoenix to learn different painting techniques, including gravity fed, pressure pot, and airless processes.

For the automotive-style painting training, Phoenix attends scheduled days at the MTA Institute workshop. Training with the Institute, whose delivery model for instruction in most cases is on-site at the student’s workplace, has been, Phoenix said, a great experience.

“It is good. Alfio gets to see what we do and how we are progressing, as well as work with us on the modules directly,” he said. “That one-on-one training definitely helps you focus and concentrate more.”

With perhaps only a year left before he completes his apprenticeship, Phoenix said he isn’t looking past the opportunity that working for J.J. Richards has given him.

“I definitely feel there is a lot they can teach me,” he said. “It’s a huge company and there’s lots going on. I definitely want to progress further here.”

Phoenix will be attending the Industry Awards Gala with his partner and said that no matter what the outcome, he was honoured to be a finalist for the Apprentice of the Year award.

“I am proud to be a finalist and to have been named an Apprentice of the Month winner,” he said. “To be chosen out of all the students MTA institute trains was a shock and I was very grateful to receive that award.”

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2022)

1 November 2022