PUTTING SAFETY FIRST

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.” 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.”

PIPELINE OF AITC APPRENTICES PUTTING SAFETY FIRST

DELIBERATELY DIFFERENT.

blueprint australian industry trade college

A Personal Industry Coach (PIC) provides coaching and mentoring to young people throughout their Education and Industry blocks. The PIC can be seen as a conduit between Industry Consultants and young people and also Team Leaders and young people. Sunshine Coast PIC, Melanie Snow says, “We are often helping young people build confidence on how to call employers to gain work experience, how to show initiative on the worksite, and instil the AITC values and expectations in regard to positive attitude, behaviour and performance.” PICs also work closely with Campus Managers and Regional Industry Officers, attend parent/young people meetings and develop goal and action plans that a young person can work towards achieving.

A typical day for a PIC is to visit young people while out on work experience and see how they are going, “learning about their industry and letting them know we support them.” Working one on one or in small groups with young people who may need coaching or mentoring on a variety of topics (employability metrics, career planning, goal setting, wellbeing). Meeting with staff to see if there are any young people who may need extra support. Checking-in with young people to see how their day is going, and popping into their education classes from time to time to see what they are learning.

“Every day is different,” says Melanie. “I thoroughly enjoy making a personal connection with each young person and watching them grow and mature across their years at the College. It’s also great to work with such an amazing team here on the Sunshine Coast. It takes a village and we truly do that every single day. Working closely with multiple staff, young people and parents is what allows the AITC young people to flourish.”

“The favourite part of my job is seeing young people in action when they are out on work experience or at their traineeship/apprenticeship workplaces. It allows me to see the young people in their element. When they are passionate about their work, it clearly shows! I also enjoy seeing them at graduation—all dressed up with QCEs and apprenticeships—such a proud moment for them, their parents and for staff who work with them every day.”

Recently Melanie visited young person Ava who is learning the apiarist trade (beekeeper) at Beyond Honey. Even though Melanie admits she’s “kind of scared of bees (I just don’t like them buzzing around me)” she couldn’t wait to visit Ava out on her work experience. “I tried to show courage, don the bee suit and get up close and personal while taking photos of her in action. The focus and skill she showed was amazing.”

WORK EXPERIENCE CAN BE A BUZZ FOR OUR PERSONAL INDUSTRY COACHES

“There is always something new to learn every day as a PIC like how to ethically source honey,” says Melanie. “Beyond Honey is going above and beyond with their hives in every natural way they can. Each of their hives produces honey of varying colours and flavours depending on where it’s located and what types of nectar and pollen those bees bring back to the hive.”

Under the careful eye of Cooper (owner of Beyond Honey), Ava checked the hives for several things; if the queen is still there, if there are any eggs, how the bees are doing and if any pests have tried to invade the hive. They keep track of their hives on an app where they monitor important factors including temperament, production and genetics. The queen bee is the one that is blue. They slightly mark the queen bees with a pen/marker and then track them by colour on their beekeeping app. It also makes it easier to locate the queen when they are checking the hives. They currently have 90+ hives located across various paddocks on the Sunshine Coast.

DELIBERATELY DIFFERENT.

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GREEN AND GOLD

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WORKING TOGETHER

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INFLUENCED + INSPIRED

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