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 Queensland Apprentice of the Year Awards held on Friday (14 September) at the Royal on the Park Hotel in Brisbane.

The Awards provide an opportunity for Queensland’s electrical and communications industry to officially recognise the talent of top apprentices in the state across three industry sectors.

Thirty-eight year old Steven Collins from East Ipswich was judged the best apprentice in the Industrial category.

Steven recently finished his electrical apprenticeship with Stowe Australia where he acquired considerable industrial experience working at jobs which included the Dht-u2 project at the Caltex Refinery, construction of Condamine Power Station, conveyer replacement during a shutdown at Kogan Creek Power Station, a ship unloader and conveyer system for Sunstate Cement and a coal wash plant at Cambey Downs. The company describes Steven as an outstanding team player who takes direction well and needs minimum instructions to get the job done. Well before his completion Steven was running sections of the job site in a supervised leading hand foreman role.

“During my employment at Stowe I have utilized skills and various licenses previously obtained to assist in achieving goals and deadlines safely and economically while maintaining a happy client,” said Steven.

“My ambitions for the future is to continue studying within the electrical field and to apply that knowledge to experience some of the diverse paths the industry has to offer – to not only learn new skills but to continue applying the ones already obtained to enhance my ability to handle any work situation in a safe and professional manner.”

Elijah Taylor, who is 27-years-old and from Eatons Hill, was judged the best apprentice in the Commercial/Domestic category.

He is employed by Q Electrical in Brisbane and has been the onsite safety rep. for the last 12 months. The company says that Elijah has consistently shown willingness to participate as a team member and is well regarded by his supervisors and colleagues alike.

“Throughout my apprenticeship I’m fortunate enough to have had exposure to a large range of commercial and industrial projects,” said Elijah.

“I’ve enjoyed the challenges of working alongside tradesmen on highly technical industrial projects but more than that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the competitive nature of the commercial industry.

“I’m currently applying to undertake further studies into an Advanced Diploma of Electrical Engineering where I would like to obtain skills to aid me in the future for possible roles in design and management.”

Anthony Hilliar, who is 44-years-old and from Tugun, was judged the best apprentice in the Communications category.

He is employed by Stowe Australia, where he began as a trade’s assistant in 2005 and in 2008 he started an electrical apprenticeship. The company said that Anthony obtained excellent results at TAFE and was a reliable and dedicated employee.

“Over the last seven years with this company I have realised how much I have to offer, not only for Stowe but for myself,” said Anthony.

“The skills I have obtained have led to many opportunities which I now wish to further. I plan to do computer studies like auto CAD to lead into the estimating and pricing of jobs and any other opportunity that is directly related to the electrical industry.”

NECA Queensland Executive Director Guy Houghton said 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 Steven, Elijah and Anthony should be very proud of,” said Guy.

“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 Queensland.”

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,” said Guy.

“Many businesses, like Stowe Australia and Q Electrical, 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.”