Training no Longer a thing of the Past     02 September 2011

With the demand for skilled labour across Queensland increasing every year there is an added pressure for businesses to ensure they have strong training and development programs in place to keep up with industry standards.

One such success story of a strong training program within a business is that of Mr Joshua Pitt, a mechanic turned mature age Apprentice from FK Gardner and Sons.

Joshua was recently announced the winner of the prestigious Queensland Master Builders Apprentice of the Year for the Brisbane Region during the awards ceremony on the 8 August 2011.

This is a great result of what has been a career dream for Joshua, who applied with FKG for a Labourer position back in 2007 after leaving his previous position as a trade qualified mechanic with over 10 years experience.

"Even though I enjoyed my work as a mechanic I wanted a greater challenge and I had developed a strong interest in the construction field" Mr Pitt said.

Joshua was no stranger to hard work and settled into the building environment comfortably, it was shortly after this that FKG recognised his efficiency and accuracy and offered him the opportunity to begin his apprenticeship undertaking a Certificate III in Carpentry.

As part of his apprenticeship he undertook a training program that comprised of both on-the-job and formal training components, providing him the opportunity to work on many large scale multi - million dollar construction projects, giving him the ability to advance his skills and knowledge.

Paul Gardner, FKG Site Foreman and mentor has expressed how easy it is to work with Joshua and admires his dedication to the job.

"It has been great working alongside of Joshua over the past three years.  He has been a loyal and proactive team member on all projects he has assisted on" Mr Gardner said.

Whilst working as a full time Apprentice with FKG Josh still attends regular face to face training sessions with the Registered Training Organisation, giving him the opportunity to review upcoming coursework and ask questions directly which is often hard for those completing distance education courses. 

Mr Pitt said "FKG has allowed me to develop my skills in a variety of areas and provided many opportunities for me to grow in my role under the mentorship of highly experienced Site Mangers and Foreman".

The Site Managers and Foreman play an integral role in the development of FKG's apprentices, whilst on site they are their mentors and pass on their knowledge and skills that they have developed through many years on the job.

Joshua's devotion to his work and the significant development of his skills throughout his apprenticeship led to the decision for FKG to nominate him.

From the nomination Master Builders Queensland awarded him with the title of Apprentice of the Year due to these on the job attributes and Joshua's dedication to his personal development.

After a lot of hard work on the job Joshua sees the win as nothing but positive.

"When I found out that I had won I was thrilled as it is such a well recognised achievement amongst the industry and I only see it as a benefit to my career" Mr Pitt said.

When Joshua completes his apprenticeship he is looking forward to furthering his career in the construction industry through additional training, including his Diploma in Building and Construction and Medium Rise Builder's Licence, a goal that FKG are more then happy to assist him with.

Group HR Manager for FKG, Mr Mark Hoogsteyns believes that the key to any company's success is through the growth of highly effective training programs.

"Managers need to recognise the importance of consistently developing their employees to ensure they are up to date with the latest technology and skills required for their positions".

"We regularly ensure that we review our training processes and courses available to our employees to ensure that we are constantly meeting what the industry is looking for" Mr Hoogsteyns said.

The company has also noticed that employees who see their employer expressing an interest in their personal development are more likely to give back to the company through hard work

With the continued addition and improvement of training programs across Queensland businesses the future looks bright for our skilled workforce.