First year apprentice Skye always knew she wanted to tackle a trade, but initially began working in aged care before setting her sights on becoming a Boilermaker.
“My Dad is a Boilermaker so it was something we heard a lot about at home, but it still came as a surprise to my family when I told them this was what I was doing,” Skye said.
“My whole experience at Bradken so far has been awesome. There’s been a lot to learn in the few short weeks I’ve been here, but I’ve been able to jump in and give things a go knowing there’s help there when I need it. I’m excited to see what experiences are in store for me.”
When asked how she felt about her first few weeks as a Boilermaker apprentice at Bradken’s Mt Thorley site, Elizabeth says it’s been beyond her expectations.
“Honestly, it’s been amazing. The whole team has been so welcoming and I feel really at home. If I need help there is always someone there without hesitation to give me their advice.
“My favourite thing is how hands-on the learning is. I love working with my hands, blending and building things - I grew up shadowing my Dad in the shed while he was welding and did a bit myself here and there. I find the process fascinating.”
Working as a Trades Assistant at Bradken’s Mt Thorley site in New South Wales for almost a year helped Charlie develop his interest in welding and led him to start his Boilermaking apprenticeship this year.
“I’ve tried other things before, like Fitting and Turning and Carpentry but welding is the kind of work I love to do,” Charlie said.
“The team here have been great about me switching gears and focusing on this, it’s a really encouraging environment to work and learn in.”
An enthusiastic hands-on learner, 18-year-old first year apprentice Boilermaker Baxter has his sights set on the future, hoping to one day own his own fabrication business.
He said the people at Bradken’s site in Ipswich, Queensland have made the first weeks of his apprenticeship great.
“The people at Bradken have given me a great first impression of what doing my apprenticeship here will be like. They’re all really nice and helpful.”
Kris worked as a Production team member at Bradken’s site in Innisfail, Queensland for about a year before deciding to upskill by starting a Fitter and Turner apprenticeship.
“I’m not completely new to the work, but I’m really excited to be learning new things and hopefully taking on new responsibilities as I progress through my apprenticeship and achieve my qualifications,” Kris said.
“Everyone here gets on really well and the working environment is great. There’s lots of different people to learn from and we all look out for each other.”
As someone who enjoys taking on new challenges, 20-year-old Jason made the decision to pursue a Fitter and Turner apprenticeship with Bradken, having worked at our site in Innisfail, Queensland as a Production employee since August 2022.
“Working at Bradken is great, there’s variety in the work which makes my learning experience all the more interesting, and everything we do is done in the safest way possible,” Jason said.
“My teammates have all been really helpful and supportive of me taking on this apprenticeship.”
Innisfail local and first year apprentice Boilermaker Pacey said growing up in a sugar cane town, he’s always been interested in the infrastructure behind the industry, and wanted to pursue a career that would let him be part of it.
“I’m excited to be doing my apprenticeship with Bradken at their Sugar Services site and I’m looking forward to gaining as much knowledge and experience as I can from the great team of people here, so I can be the best tradesman I can be,” Pacey said.
“I’ve had friends give me advice on what the experience of learning a trade was going to be like, but so far it’s exceeded anything they told me.”
Interested in learning a trade? Applications for Bradken’s 2023 apprenticeship intake for our West Australian operations are now open. If you’re keen to start your career with us, you can find more information and apply for available opportunities by clicking on the link below and searching for ‘Bradken’.