The way apprentice Ashton Spears’ face lights up when he talks about fixing a Holden Commodore VE Series II is a sign he was always destined for a career in the automotive industry.
While this old Australian car is loved by some, it’s known as a temperamental and problematic car that only the truly devoted would choose to spend their weekends elbow-deep in.
The apprentice at Queensland Forklifts is currently undertaking a AUR31220 Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology with Major Training with hopes of moving his way up into a management role.
The car enthusiast sees a broken vehicle and feels an instinctive curiosity that has been woven into the fabric of his life for as long as he can remember.
“I always liked tinkering with cars. I’ve had a few Commodores, a few trucks and I’ve just really grown up around it,” Ashton said.
Whether it was the dirt bikes that Ashton stripped back and rebuilt on weekends, or working on the tractor on the family farm, Ashton had always learned more with his hands than with a textbook.
He left school at the end of Year 10 and walked straight into the workshop where he was always meant to be, beginning the trade training that would turn a lifetime of backyard tinkering into something real.
For Ashton, the hands-on approach of his training through Major Training made all the difference.
“The big benefit is that the trainers come out to site, so we get to learn on the machines we actually work on and other machines too. That’s a huge benefit,” he said.
The workshop may have felt familiar, but walking into an apprenticeship was a different challenge altogether.
Ashton started his apprenticeship reluctant to put his hand up, carrying the quiet anxiety that asking a question might somehow expose him as someone who did not quite belong there.
“At the start of my apprenticeship, I was pretty shy and I was scared to ask questions because it made me feel incompetent,” he said.
But the trainers at Major Training created an environment where asking questions felt like it was part of the job, rather than an admission of weakness.
“They really helped me warm up, to be open and comfortable around them. They’re always happy to answer questions,” he said.
The results of that growth have been striking and in just three years, Ashton has worked through 23 units.
PJ Root, Service Manager at Queensland Forklifts, has witnessed it first-hand.
“Ashton started quite young and has from the start had a great work ethic, with a desire to learn,” Mr Root said.
Ashton’s can-do attitude was the catalyst for Queensland Forklifts trusting him to run the hire board while their hire controller is away.
“Few people can do this as there is a lot of correspondence with the hire department, with changes and so on, yet he just takes it in his stride,” Mr Root said.
The on-site training model has also contributed to Ashton’s skill development, as well as workplace productivity.
“It is great having the trainers coming to site. There is less downtime, and they can relate to what they are being trained on as they are shown what to do where they work,” Mr Root said.
With the need for skilled mechanics in high demand, a qualification in Mobile Plant Technology is a great pathway for those considering a mechanical career. With on-site training options available, employers like Queensland Forklifts can build capable, confident tradespeople in a familiar environment.
Find out more information on AUR31220 Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology here.
