Mature aged electrical apprentice, Richard Styles, won the 2011 National NECA Apprentice of the Year award in the Commercial and Domestic category and admits that it was no easy feat.

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) Apprentice of the Year Awards provide an opportunity for the industry to recognise the talent of the top electrical apprentices across the three industry sectors of industrial, commercial/domestic and communications. In November 2011, 31 year old Richard Styles from Launceston won the Tasmanian Commercial and Domestic Apprentice of the Year Award, and then went on to take the National award as well.

“It was unbelievable to found out I’d won; I was shaking!” he says.

“There was a large project that had to be completed in a short timeframe, just to be in the running for the award – I had to design a lighting and power schedule for a house, with data, phone, and a battery backup system. It was a big project, so it was awesome to win and be rewarded for all the effort that I put in.”

Richard attended the Skills Institute at Launceston and he got his start with Degree C, where he still works. It was his boss and electrical services manager, Wayne Hobson, who nominated him for the State award.

“I ended up winning the State award, which makes you automatically eligible for the Nationals. I made the top three out of the nominees and then had to go to Melbourne for a series of tests, interviews and presentations,” Richard says.

Like many high school students, Richard graduated not knowing which career path he wanted to take, and it was not until after working in a fruit and vegetable factory, taking deliveries and driving forklift trucks, when the opportunity to work for Degree C came up, and he decided to take it. 

“I got accepted into uni, but realised I didn’t want to study full time as I was working and enjoying having money. However, I didn’t want to work in a warehouse forever either, so I decided to take the job at Degree C.

“When I started I was doing the pipe work for air conditioners (or heat pumps as we call them in Tassie!). I’d watch the sparkies come do the wiring and that’s how I got interested in electrical work.”

After finding that Degree C couldn’t offer him an apprenticeship, Richard moved to another company for a year, but after that business went under, he decided to go back to Degree C, which he says taught him a very valuable lesson.

“I pretty much had to go back to Degree C on my knees and beg for another job. They put me back on, which was awesome of them and they got me through my apprenticeship,” he says. 

“That made me realise the importance of not burning your bridges!”

He also notes that being a mature aged apprentice didn’t cause any issues, in fact, if anything, it was a huge benefit for him.

“There seems to be quite a lot of mature aged apprentices, especially in my class, sometimes I’m the oldest in the class at school, but I find that I’m accepted and don’t really have any trouble. The young guys call me ‘old fella’ a bit, but besides that, I don’t get any hassle at all.

“It’s probably easier in a way because you’re more interested in doing your work than worrying about what’s going on at the pub on Wednesday night. A lot of the young guys have more of an active social life, whereas the older guys are there to get the job done, get their trade and get out of there.”

When it comes to the job itself, Richard’s says his favourite aspect of being an electrician is undertaking control work.

“I don’t find myself dealing with lights, power points or data very often, it’s usually more the mechanical side of things – working with contactors and relays, and that’s what really interests me.

“I really enjoy looking at a wiring diagram and a plan for a building and figuring out how we’re going to approach the job. Also, we build our own switchboards, so I like designing them and laying out the contactors. I found that very challenging at first, but now it’s getting a lot easier.

“Every day is different in this line of work, which I really like. Today I’ve just been fitting off heat pumps, which can get boring eventually, but most of the time it’s constantly changing – the jobs are always diverse and you’re using different equipment all the time.”

Looking towards the future, Richard has big plans, but remains realistic about his goals.

“In the short term, I’m just looking to keep doing what I’m doing. Eventually I want to work on bigger jobs, because the way I look at it, the bigger projects are better as they provide more of a challenge.

“Further down the track I’d like to get into project management, but I’ve still got a lot to learn, so I won’t be rushing into that too quickly. I’d say that I’ll have at least five years left on the tools to have nearly enough knowledge to take on that sort of position.”