Tom Gordon was a qualified light vehicle mechanic who had worked on the Gold Coast for a decade when he left the industry, feeling bored of the everyday vehicles and services he was completing.
It was some time after this that he saw a promotion for the Mader Trade Upgrade Program at TAFE Queensland and felt a career in heavy machinery beckoning him. The bespoke program sees qualified automotive tradespeople undertake a fast-tracked second trade in Mobile Plant Technology with Mader Group and begin a career in the mining industry.
“I had left the workshop I was at for 10 years because it got boring just working on the same regular cars, and I wasn’t working in automotive at all. Then I saw this program and I thought it would be cool working on big machinery and heading out to the mines, so I signed up,” Tom said.
“When I got to TAFE Queensland, I was upfront with the teachers and told them I had always struggled at school and they never judged me, instead they went above and beyond to help me succeed.
“The knowledge, patience, and encouragement they provided me were second to none, and thanks to them I now feel confident and ready for the mines.
“All the teachers I had in this second trade – Joe, Shannon, Reubn, Warren, and Craig – are seriously the best teachers I’ve ever had, hands down. I genuinely wish I had them back in school, their depth of knowledge is incredible,” he said.
TAFE Queensland’s trade teachers are industry experts with a passion for passing on skills crucial to their industries’ futures, and Tom’s teachers are a key example of the outstanding impact great teachers can have on apprentices.
For more information about apprenticeship careers, visit tafeqld.edu.au/apprenticeships or call 1300 308 233 today.