The class of 2023 rolled up their sleeves for work at Caterpillar dealer Hastings Deering as the company inducted 50 new apprentices at its Brisbane training headquarters
Close to 2000 hopefuls applied to join Hastings Deering’s apprenticeship program when applications closed last year. The major employer and apprentice trainer welcoming the successful applicants to the company from Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Hastings Deering’s chief executive officer Mark Scott says the company continued to target a diverse range of apprentices with this cohort a mix of school leavers, mature age workers, females and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The youngest 17 and the oldest 38.
“It’s a diverse group – 50 of the best and a larger intake than in previous years as we continue to build the skills pipeline,” Scott says.
“Our training is world’s best practice as we train and work to a global standard.”
Koby Townsend, from Walkerston, Mackay is the youngest of five boys. While two of his older brothers have finished University degrees, the 18 year old school leaver has followed one of his other brothers into an apprenticeship starting with Hastings Deering as an auto electrician.
“I think my family expected me to go to university. I got high marks in all my subjects like physics and chemistry, and all through school I thought I would go to university.
“Being exposed to both career pathways, it was only until my last year at high school that I thought the apprenticeship lifestyle would suit me better. I also played sport with lots of people who worked for Hastings Deering so I thought that might suit me better.
“I like the auto sparky trade: I see electrics as a complicated mindset that would challenge myself to be a better person.”
Dahna King, from Plainlands near Toowoomba, is one of four other females, seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and 17 other mature-age apprentices. The fully qualified hairdresser trading her scissors for spanners and sockets.
King says while hairdressing continued to suffer from a skills’ shortage, she had long been attracted to the resources sector, moving away from that industry some time ago to pursue work in mines in Moranbah and Dysart.
“My becoming a single mum 10 months ago, was my catalyst for looking for employment that was not FIFO, or living at mine camps,” she says.
“I have met so many people from Hastings Deering during my time at the mines and have heard such great stories about the company, I just had to apply. I admit I was a bit worried at 28 if I had left it too late, especially with the competition of school leavers, but I just knew I had to follow my dream to show a good example to my daughter.”
Hastings Deering’s executive general manager – Australian operations Daniel Viero says this year’s higher apprentice intake reflected anticipated future demand.
“We try to envisage what the market will look like in four years’ time. We take a long-term view about the continued investment in skills for the future. That means we are always looking forward to anticipating future skills needs and ensuring we have qualified tradespeople meet the market,” Viero says.
Viero says while there continued to be fierce competition for skilled workers across all industries, the high application numbers showed apprenticeships were highly sought after, with trades offering a successful career path.
“Figures from to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show as of June 2022 there were over 415,000 apprentices and trainees, in training with 58.2% training in the trades.”
“NCVER figures also show 91.8% of apprentices who completed their training were employed afterwards which is consistent with our figures of offers of fulltime employment after training. Almost every one of our apprentices is offered fulltime work at the end of their apprenticeship.
“As in previous years, most applications were for diesel fitter and auto electrician apprenticeships and these two fields have the placements to meet the market.
“The calibre of applicants was strong across the board, with Mackay and Rockhampton apprentices again dominating the cohort driven largely by our pipeline of work in the regions, linked to the resources’ sector as well as supporting the construction industry.
“The high number of applications is also a reflection of our commitment to promoting STEM by actively partnering with the Queensland Resources Council and the QMEA program which reaches 80 affiliated schools from as far north as Mount Isa and Townsville, to Central Queensland and the Coalfields as well as Brisbane in the Southeast.”