JCB Construction Equipment Australia (CEA) in Melbourne has awarded apprentice Richard Newbury, the local Best Apprentice award for the Automotive / Heavy Stream category the past two years.
The company says that it has been a strong supporter of local apprentice schools and is helping to improve the levels at the schools. It has been contributing equipment to the apprentice schools for the past five years.
JCB’s Victoria Service Manager George De Domenico says this re-investment in the industry is benefitting the students and all brands. He says that instead of working on older equipment, apprentices are looking at current style componentry. They are receiving true training on what is currently happening.
Domenico says that apprentice numbers have always been strong in Automotive, but in the last three-and-a-half to four years there has been a large increase in Heavy Stream apprentices. Students are now going where the demand is.
JCB CEA has recruited six apprentices over the past four years, including four from the Victorian schools.
The benefits have been well highlighted in recent years. JCB CEA’s Richard Newbury, 23, has won the Best Apprentice award for the Automotive / Heavy Stream category the past two years.
Richard won Best Apprentice Level 1 Certificate 3 in 2007 and followed it up with Level 2 last year.
He started his apprenticeship with JCB CEA in January 2007 after previously working in the local construction industry and running his own business.
Newbury says that he operated the business at home, repairing motorbikes, but always had an interest in heavy equipment.
He spends one week each month at the Chisholm Institute’s Frankston campus. His apprenticeship will include three years at Frankston and the final fourth year full-time at JCB CEA.
As a result of the company’s contributions to the apprentice schools, Richard said it was good to be “getting a heads-up at school’’ and then to be working on the equipment during the week.
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