Trailblazing third-year electrician in training, Shelley Elliott, has been awarded the title of Apprentice of the Year by TAFE SA and leading electrical equipment and accessories provider, Clipsal by Schneider Electric (Clipsal).

Part of the ‘Sparkies Scholarship’ program, the highly contested award saw Shelley beat nine of her peers to win a $5,000 grant to kick start her career.

Presenting to a panel of five judges, Shelley and fellow sparkies navigated through the competition for four months. The selection process challenged each apprentice to learn how to manage their own business while undertaking hands-on training for the latest in electrical products that will shape the future of the industry, including Clipsal’s Wiser Smart Home technology.

The final challenge invited participants to present an innovative business plan for their own electrical servicing business.

“I signed up to the program to meet new people, get familiar with industry-leading electrical products and learn how to run my own business from TAFE SA’s industry experts,” Shelly says.

Each student selected a customer persona and was tasked with developing an angle to support sales with their customer segment. Shelley chose the ‘outsourcers’ audience, those who wanted to upgrade their home but didn’t have the time or knowledge to tackle it.

“The program opened my eyes to understanding what the customer wants and working with them directly, as well as with the contractor,” she adds.

“For the next generation of sparkies, I could not recommend this apprenticeship program more highly. To go on to win the coveted Sparkie of the Year award is one of the greatest achievements in my career so far.”

Clipsal partner programs manager David Moore adds: “It was extremely important for Clipsal and TAFE SA to create a well-rounded program that mixed real-life experience, access to the latest technology while pushing students to think outside of the box when it came to solving common business challenges.

“The award recognises the apprentice who performs the best academically and in the field by undertaking a special task created by Clipsal. By partnering with TAFE SA, the program produces well-rounded talent that will go on to become the leading electricians of the future.”

Taking students out of their comfort zones was key to helping them develop professionally, TAFE SA principal lecturer Scott Fereday explains: “Our students stepped up to the plate, demonstrating their business savvy to a real-world challenge while offering an innovative proposition to their nominated customer.”

The scholarship is open to third-year TAFE SA electrical apprentices, selected by TAFE SA across its nine delivery campuses. TAFE SA trains approximately 1,500 electrical apprentices annually. Clipsal provided specialised training and mentoring through leading electricians from the Club Clipsal program, undertaking hands-on sessions with the latest technology and products.

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