DELIBERATELY DIFFERENT.
brings to his job such as teamwork and trust. “Jets is a team environment— everyone needs to work together and communicate together to get the job done. At the end of the night if you have one person not communicating it can be terrible. Teamwork is massive.” In the kitchen “I love being creative,” says Lewis. “I like to plate up and make it look nice and appealing to the eye. I love food.” His preferred meal of choice is making stir fries “they’re a favourite to make and a favourite to eat.” His home-made beef stir fry dish is his absolute favourite however he won’t share the recipe as it’s a “guarded secret”. His love of food comes from growing up with a big family and combined cultures. “My dad’s side of the family loved their cooking. There’s nothing better than sitting around the table sharing a home cooked meal with family and friends.” Food creates memories— like Christmas, “you put on a big feed and it’s great and you remember it. The food and smells make it memorable,” says Lewis. Initially some people didn’t support Lewis’ choice of career as a chef. “I had a lot of people who said: ‘Cooking? Why would you want to do cooking?’—even family members. But I did it. You can make decent money in it. I enjoy what I do and they saw I was doing well. I started making the same amount as my brother—he works full time and I’m still at school.” He says work experience is crucial and having the right attitude helps to find the best apprenticeship fit. “Dedicate yourself and give 100%. Have a smile when you’re at work experience and never turn up with a negative mindset,” advises Lewis. “Stick with it and try hard. It will better you—even if you don’t get the job—you still have to try.”
PIPELINE OF AITC APPRENTICES PUTTING SAFETY FIRST Safety is a vital value taught at the AITC to young people pursuing an industry pathway. It’s a fundamental cornerstone at the industry-driven school; young people must follow stringent safety protocols to protect themselves, their team and the community. Charlie, a Year 12 leader at the AITC and first year school-based plumbing apprentice, was a finalist in the Outstanding Apprentice category at the prestigious Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland Plumbing & Gas Industry Awards. Charlie has been working with Cargo Plumbing since early 2020 while completing his secondary schooling, and takes safety seriously. At the AITC “safety is drilled into you from the start. This is what you need to do every day,” says Charlie. Standard safety protocol requires signing on whenever an employee arrives at a work site. Charlie says Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the main priority to minimise risk to workers’ health and safety. “You’re always dealing with potential dangers
as a plumber. We work with a lot of chemicals — so masks, glasses and gloves are extremely important and used frequently.” The young apprentice also relies on the site manager who oversees and directs a variety of projects from the beginning through to completion. “When you get to site in the morning, the site manager lets you know what has to happen throughout the day and if there is anything to be aware of such as cranes or big trucks.” Showing wisdom beyond his years, Charlie says there’s no room for people who take shortcuts. “You have to step back and take the time to be safe otherwise things can go wrong.” Charlie says workers who are less safe are the ones who want to rush through their tasks to get home faster. However, it’s important to “always take that little bit of extra time. Think a few steps ahead to what you will be doing and make sure everything is safe because at the end of the day you want to go home in one piece.”
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