Brad Love: Electrical Equipment Specialist (1 Viewer)

[Bored of Studies]

Brad’s career choices have certainly worked out well for him but in ways he couldn’t have expected.

Now an Electrical Equipment Specialist with Blue Scope Steel, Brad began his employment with them as an electrical apprentice in 2001, through Illawara Group Training. He proved to be a hard working and reliable employee with an inquisitive mind, delivering a consistently high standard of work on all the projects he undertook. His success in the workplace and excellent TAFE results earned him a scholarship from Blue Scope Steel to study an Advanced Diploma in Electrical Engineering.

Brad’s achievements led to his selection as a participant in Group Training Australia’s
first national leadership program – Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders in 2004.

I’ll let Brad tell the rest of his story:

“I recently took up a salary position within another department of BlueScope Steel. I am responsible for the daily reliability of electrical equipment with an area and I am the youngest in this role by over 15 years.

After returning from Today's Skills - Tomorrows Leaders I continued working for my old department though I had been transferred to a different section that I was not enjoying and did not feel suited the career path that I was looking to follow.

With the confidence and people skills that I had gained at Today's Skills - Tomorrows Leader’s, I began searching for a new position and applied for my current role, Electrical Equipment Specialist. During the interview process, the interviewer was very impressed with the fact that I had attended Today's Skills - Tomorrows Leaders and together with my TAFE result, work performance reports and the way I confidently answered the questions I was soon offered the position.

I was to find out two days later that my department at the time would not be releasing me to take up this position. I began the dispute settling procedure and had meeting with managers up to five levels above myself. I was eventually released to take up the position that I am currently fulfilling and was complimented by the area HR manger for the way that I had handled myself during the process. I would not have been half as prepared for this situation without what I had learnt at Today's Skills - Tomorrows Leaders and for this I am very grateful.”

Brad is one of around 9,400 apprentices in NSW that are employed through a Group Training Organisation and placed with a host employer for on the job training. Group Training Organisations (GTOs) manage the recruitment, employment and training of apprentices and trainees throughout NSW and Australia and the national network of Group Training Organisations is the largest employer of apprentices and trainees in the country.

Apprentices and trainees benefit from being employed by a Group Training Organisation that monitors their training progress both on and off the job and ensures the training is matched to industry requirements, resulting in a nationally recognised qualification.

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To find out about employment and training opportunities with Group Training Organisations visit [FONT=&quot]www.grouptraining.com.auhttp://www.grouptraining.com.au/ or post your questions / comments in this forum and Brad or Leonie from GTA will reply.[/FONT]

 

[GTA]

Brad's career is already taking some twists and turns and likely to take lots more.

Does anyone have any views about apprenticeships as a career stepping stone?

 

[GTA]

Most teachers at school told me that starting a trade was the worst thing I could have done. I was even told by a teacher that if I didn’t get a degree that I would be wasting my life. This could not be further from the truth.

If you are looking to go to University I encourage you to apply yourself, obtain the best UAI that you are capable of and strive for your goal.

If you feel that University isn’t where your career path lies, don’t listen to people who tell you that with out a degree you will not succeed in this world.

When I started my trade, and I won’t lie to you, I saw it as a stepping stone to bridge some time while I waited to join the Police Force.

I soon realized that an apprenticeship was the best way I could advance myself. I am currently the supervisor of the day to day electrical reliably of a section within the Cokemaking plant at the Port Kembla Steelworks. This is something that would not have been possible without my apprenticeship or Group Training Australia.

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that apprenticeships aren’t a career starter. They haven’t been for me or hundreds of other apprentices. Even one of my best friends, who is completing a Mechanical/ Commerce double degree while working at full time at the Steelworks agrees and strongly agrees that apprenticeships are an undervalued in this country.

Anyone who tells you that apprenticeships aren’t a career starter, especially in this era of a skilled worker shortage, is living in the past and misinformed

Please keep apprenticeships in mind when you think about your career path. You won’t be disappointed


Regards
Brad Love

 

[DMac18]

Hi Brad, thanks for the insight into your career.

Did you do your apprenticeship and TAFE at the same time?

I've only just started looking into it (im in yr11) but trades people get payed well and i think i'd enjoy the physical work. I think its generally accepted that apprenticeships are the usual way to enter a trade, but does TAFE help too?

 

[GTA]

In response to your question Dmac

I did do my apprentice while attending TAFE.

Most apprenticeships that I am aware of have two components.
On the job training that you complete in the workplace with your employer and off the job training that is completed with a Register Training Organization (RTO).
In most circumstance the Register Training Organization is TAFE.

Most apprenticeships generally follow the same pattern.
Four 4 days at work with one day a week spent at TAFE studying, though in some cases such as baking this may be a block release program where you attend TAFE every day for 3 straight weeks, 4 times a year.

TAFE education is very beneficial and helps set you aside from other people applying for the apprenticeship you are interested in.

In year 12 I also completed an electrical TAFE course through a school based vocational training program which I believe help me gain my apprenticeships in the first place


If you have any problems getting an apprenticeship, most TAFE colleges run pre apprenticeship course which teach the basic skills in the field chosen which may give you the edge to get the apprenticeship you want.

I hope is of some help and answers your question.

Regards
Brad Love

 

[hanhle]

With the pre apprenticeship courses, do you think they are onlt worth doing if you cant get an apprenticeship first off, or would it be good to do the course first then begin looking for an apprenticeship?

Also im just wondering what exactly GTAs does? Ive looked on their website and it has lists of available apprenticeships and some info regarding apprenticeships in general. Is GTAs service to link up people looking for apprenticeships with employers that want apprentices?

Thanks.

 

[GTA]

In response to your question Hanhle.

The full pre apprenticeship courses that I have heard of are generally run over a semester at TAFE and most of the time during the day.
This would make it hard if you are still attending school or working somewhere else

The pre apprenticeship course is normally made up of subjects that first year apprentices would undertake at TAFE, so if you can get an apprenticeship without having completed a pre apprenticeship course it has two main advantages.

Firstly, you will get to see the practical application of what you are learning at a TAFE, on the Job, the other 4 days of the week.

The second advantage, and in my opinion the best, is that you will be being paid to go to TAFE to study. Also your travel, TAFE fees and books are also tax deductible.

In saying this if you are unable to gain an apprenticeship, a pre apprenticeship course is a great way to separate yourself from other would be apprentices it also lets you get a feel if the trade you are considering is something that you really wanted to do.

As for Group Training Companies.
Group Training companies are not for profit organizations that provide a service to business and industry. The service is supplying apprentices and trainees for various trades or positions. They carry out the recruitment of apprentices and look after payroll and other administration aspects of employing an apprentice

They often cover many trades and many different companies, so by applying for an apprentice through a Group Training company you are effectively applying for a large range of apprenticeships with a large group of business

I hope this answers your question.
Regards
Brad Love

 

[GTA]

With the pre apprenticeship courses, do you think they are onlt worth doing if you cant get an apprenticeship first off, or would it be good to do the course first then begin looking for an apprenticeship?

Also im just wondering what exactly GTAs does? Ive looked on their website and it has lists of available apprenticeships and some info regarding apprenticeships in general. Is GTAs service to link up people looking for apprenticeships with employers that want apprentices?

Thanks.

In response to your question Hanhle.

The full pre apprenticeship courses that I have heard of are generally run over a semester at TAFE and most of the time during the day.
This would make it hard if you are still attending school or working somewhere else

The pre apprenticeship course is normally made up of subjects that first year apprentices would undertake at TAFE, so if you can get an apprenticeship without having completed a pre apprenticeship course it has two main advantages.

Firstly, you will get to see the practical application of what you are learning at a TAFE, on the Job, the other 4 days of the week.

The second advantage, and in my opinion the best, is that you will be being paid to go to TAFE to study. Also your travel, TAFE fees and books are also tax deductible.

In saying this if you are unable to gain an apprenticeship, a pre apprenticeship course is a great way to separate yourself from other would be apprentices it also lets you get a feel if the trade you are considering is something that you really wanted to do.

As for Group Training Companies.
Group Training companies are not for profit organizations that provide a service to business and industry. The service is supplying apprentices and trainees for various trades or positions. They carry out the recruitment of apprentices and look after payroll and other administration aspects of employing an apprentice

They often cover many trades and many different companies, so by applying for an apprentice through a Group Training company you are effectively applying for a large range of apprenticeships with a large group of business

I hope this answers your question.
Regards
Brad Love

 

[GTA]

Can you move around workplaces whilst doing an apprenticeship? For example if you want to try different places of employment to see how places differ and get a wider experience during your apprenticeship?

Most people would be indentured to one employer and would not move much at all.

In saying that some employers send their apprentices to other companies to get more experience in different area’s and this was the experience in my case.

I was host employed by BlueScope Steel but I also spent time working with Wollongong Electrical Engineering, to learn how to build electrical panels & Downer Engineering to learn about electrical construction. This is not just limited to Group Training apprentices. My young brother, Dean is a Fitting & Turning apprentice with NSW State Rail and he has spent months at a time working at private companies learning different skills such as hydraulics.

In my opinion Group Training makes this easier to do.
I have even heard of two small business taking on an apprentice through Group Training and sharing the apprentices time and swell as the cost.

As I said above, this is entirely up to the employer.
In the end they have a business to run and without that business there wouldn’t be an apprenticeship there to begin with.

I hope this answers your questions
Regards
Brad Love

 

[caseygourlay]

wow that's so raaaad:wave: