Kelly Theuma

Electrical Apprentice - Completed

Why did you decide to do an electrical apprenticeship? What made you chose this career?

I came from a farming backgroud, so I was always very hands-on. I was always interested in trades. I looked at different trades with versatility and flexibility. My priority was that the industry that I got into had to have future prospects. In addition, I wanted to work with people with similar skills and academic level. I saw career adviser to help me decision. I now look back and realise how much the industry suits me and am so happy. I have not had a bad day in four years.

What do you believe are the benefits of doing an apprenticeship?

It is a fantastic foundation for future employment. There are long term prospects in work. There are plenty of different arenas and various types of work environments such as data and mechanical.

Where have you spent your apprenticeship time?

PBR – for 2 ½ years
Elecraft – 8 months (twice)
Allen and O’Brien Electrical Contractors – 12 months

What did you enjoy the most about the apprenticeship?

The most enjoyable part of my apprenticeship has been working in the maintenance environment.  Also, I found other electricians very supportive of my education which was very encouraging.  PBR had a major focus on education and were committed to applying learning on the job.  Every month, all apprentices met to discuss general work updates and challenges.

What did you dislike about the apprenticeship?

Nothing. The only aspect worth mentioning are my first two weeks, being the most intimidating time in my life as there were 400 men on site at a job at Melbourne Central.

If a potential female apprentice asked you if they should participate in an electrical apprenticeship, what would your advise be?

Go for it!  For the first four years you may be given undesirable jobs so initially it is a challenging time.  It is a hard road but the future prospects are great which is what you need to think of – the long term goal!

What are your plans now that you are finishing? And in five years time?

My hope is to stay in the manufacturing industry and keep developing my skills.  I want to participate in plenty of courses and continuing my studies, like get my contratcor’s licence (Registered Electrical Contractors) course.  I love being on the tools so as long as I am working with my hands I will be happy.  In five years time I possibly may get into teaching or start up my own business.

Loren Fox

Loren Fox haas undertaken a Certificate III and Certificate IV in Business Administration through 370 traineeships (then known as VICTEC). Loren was already working full time when she decided to pursue further study, so a traineeship was a way to continue working while gaining a qualification,

"I wanted to do further study. I had been working full time and didn't want to lose my financial stability. This was the perfect way to be able to study and earn a wage." 

Through VICTEC, Loren successfully gained a placement with host employer Pfizer to undertake the work and competency portions of her traineeship and it is at Pfizer that Loren was able to gain a wealth of industry experience. Loren credits her placement with her host employer as an indispensable aspect of the traineeship.

“The onsite knowledge that you gain from being in the position was invaluable, if I was just reading the text book I wouldn’t have understood half of what I was doing, so being on site and learning all the time made it a lot easier, I had so much to draw on in the workplace”

Loren has gone on to gain full time employment with her host employer Pfizer and is enthusiastic about advising others to go down the traineeship path.

“If you have even thought about it you should just do it, if you want to study but also want a wage it is perfect, you get to learn so much about a company but also have a support network at school, if you go straight into employment you don’t have that extra support.”

Nina Barwald

Nina Barwald has undertaken a Certificate III in Business Administration through 370˚ traineeships (then known as VICTEC), and she credits her on-the-job experience with being very beneficial, describing the highlights of her industry experience as “Being able to have hands on experience whilst learning the theory and getting an education and a nationally recognized qualification. It gave me an understanding of the industry and helped me decide on a career, it also built up my confidence in the workplace.”

Nina’s host employer was Mutual Trust, and it was through her placement that Nina was able to gain the experience that would help her to make an informed decision about her future,

“(I) enjoyed doing the school work and learning new skills and enjoyed being part of a firm and helping to achieve their goals.”

After completing her traineeship, Nina has now gone on to study a Bachelor of Commerce at La Trobe University. When asked about her advice for other people considering a traineeship Nina advises them to, “Definitely go ahead with it, it is a great opportunity and you will gain a lot of new skills.”