Three electrical apprentices that demonstrated consistent levels of excellence throughout their training were recognised by Australia’s peak electrical industry association, the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), at the annual Victoria Apprentice of the Year Awards held on Wednesday night (11 July 2012) at Crown Melbourne.

The Awards provide an opportunity for the electrical and communications industry to officially recognise the talent of the top apprentices across three industry sectors in Victoria, with the three winners Ali Hasan, Roland Hill and Brian Roche all going forward to the national NECA Apprentice of the Year Awards in November.

Ali Hasan, a 24-year-old apprentice from Frankston, was judged the best apprentice in the Communications Category. Ali’s attention to detail is an asset to him, making him a trusted resource when selecting someone to carry out key works. The fourth-year apprentice initially formed part of the Apps Electrics communications team for the Southern Cross 2, Australia Post project.

“My ambition is to further my training and broaden my knowledge in the communications industry eventually being able to not only install but be able to move into designing communications styles for major projects,” Ali says.

Thirty-nine-year-old Roland Hill from Bentleigh East won the Commercial/Domestic category. Employed by NECA Apprenticeships and taking into consideration the rotational basis on how NECA Apprenticeships operate, Roland has adapted extremely well and built a great network of contacts for the future.

Roland, who attended Box Hill TAFE, achieved a high level of competence in his chosen field obtaining marks consistently above 90 per cent. His ambition is to go to Antarctica.

“I continue to seek employment that can strengthen my skills,” Roland says.

“During my training as an apprentice I have frequently asked myself what I wanted to do once I became qualified. The answer to this combines something else that I have only dreamed about but never thought I could achieve and that is living and working in Antarctica.”

Belmont resident Brian Roche was successful in the Industrial category. The 26-year-old apprentice, currently employed by Gforce Employment Solutions, commenced his adult apprenticeship with Gordon McKay Pty Ltd as his host employer. From day one he showed an eagerness and aptitude that put him ahead of the rest of the field.

“Many of the machinery installations that I have participated in have had complex control systems comprising of PLCs linked with other parts of a production line as well as newer technologies,” Brian says.

“My goals for the future are to gain experience by working in Europe for a few years with some of the companies that are using this technology and to be able to pass this knowledge on.”

NECA Victoria executive director Philip Green says the judges were impressed with the development of all three winning apprentices.

“To be named Apprentice of the Year in their individual categories is something, Ali, Roland and Brian should be very proud of,” Philip says.

“The judges compared the academic achievements and on-the-job accomplishments from all of the submissions and decided that these three are the best performing apprentices in Victoria. It’s great to see mature age apprentices excelling in the industry showing that it’s possible for anyone who is committed to make a good start on their electrical career regardless of age.”

The apprentice awards are also held to recognise the important role employers play in training apprentices.

“It’s important to remember that it’s not only the apprentices and training institutions working to build skills in our industry,” Philip says.

“Many businesses, like NECA Apprenticeships, Apps Electrics, Gforce Employment Solutions and Gordon McKay, engage apprentices and provide them with the support and opportunities they need to develop the practical component of their trade. Without the assistance of the business community apprentices would not get the on-the-job training that is so important for the future of our electrical and communications industry.”

Victoria State Government Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall, who presented the awards, congratulated the winners on their career choice.

“With the great training they have obviously received, these three outstanding apprentices should have no trouble finding work in an economy crying out for skilled electricians and communications workers,” Peter says.

“Our Government recently increased training subsidies for all apprentices, including electricians, to ensure more students take on training that will help them gain a qualification and a career.”