Doors open for MTA Apprentice of the Year winners

Doors open for MTA Apprentice of the Year winners

One year on, 2010 MTA Apprentice of the Year winner, Brock Johnston, believes that winning the competition has provided him with inspiration for the future, and changed the way he now sees himself. It’s boosted his confidence and allowed him to approach the harder aspects of the job with a more ‘can do’ attitude.

Brock was encouraged to enter the competition by a few people in the motor trade industry who he has ‘a lot of respect for’. Brock said, “I’m reasonably competitive and felt that it would be a good opportunity for me to gauge myself against other apprentices in New Zealand.”

For those thinking about entering the 2011 competition Brock says, “Don’t be afraid to give it a go – you might just be surprised at how well you do.” The competition was not nearly as daunting as Brock had expected; he found the tasks straight forward and the judges friendly.

Brock says the opportunity to go to Melbourne, and spend four days with the Greg Murphy Racing Team was a highlight of the year. “Greg picked me up from the airport; we spent two days testing as a lead up to the race, then two days of racing. It was awesome being able to hang out in pitlane, and spend time learning from the pros.”

For 2009 winner, James O’Connor, winning the competition has lead to greater things. James is off to Stuttgart in Germany for six to eight weeks in September to work for Daimler in the Mercedes Benz factory. “To start with, some of my workmates thought it might be a prank”, says James, “but when they realised it wasn’t, and that I could get a trip overseas, they were all very supportive and told me to give it a go.”

MTA are currently on the hunt for the Apprentice of the Year for 2011. Automotive businesses from all sectors of the industry are being encouraged to put forward their top apprentices, with nominations closing 31 July 2011.

The long running MTA Apprentice of the Year Award aims to reward the skills of talented apprentices and recognise employers who are investing in the future of the automotive industry. The competition provides automotive apprentices with a challenging, but fun and practical competition. Each apprentice will complete a bookwork test and a practical challenge, followed by a panel interview.

The winner of the 2011 competition will go to Sandown (Melbourne) with the opportunity to work as part of the Greg Murphy Racing team, be granted $2,000 cash and a potential study grant from MITO.

ends

© Scoop Media