TAFE SA is an important partner in regional communities delivering training to meet local workforce needs and providing opportunities for people to learn where they live.
In the Upper Spencer Gulf, TAFE SA is working closely with local industry including the Whyalla Steelworks - a key part of Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability - to ensure workers have access to quality skills training.
This year, TAFE SA has been delivering training to OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) (One Steel) apprentices across four qualifications: Electrotechnology Electrician, Engineering – Fabrication Trade, Engineering – Mechanical Trade, and Instrumentation and Control.
Recently, a group of OneSteel and BHP mechanical engineering apprentices took part in a week-long training block in the well-equipped workshop at TAFE SA’s Whyalla Campus.
Among the group was Connor Sawyer (pictured centre with Luke Clarke, left, and Timothy Ostreich), an apprentice mechanical fitter with OneSteel, who says training at TAFE SA provides a good opportunity to get hands-on knowledge in a supportive environment.
“As someone who started his apprenticeship without even knowing how to use a drill properly, I’ve come a long way with TAFE SA’s help,” he says.
Connor, 23, relocated from Queensland to Whyalla after gaining an apprenticeship and says while it was a move that initially put him out of his comfort zone, he feels fortunate to be on his chosen career path.
“My dad is a mechanical fitter and I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps at first, but I came around to the idea more recently and it was definitely an opportunity I was lucky to get,’ he says.
Connor works with OneSteel’s iron ore mining operation, and is located at the Iron Duke mine where he assists with assembling, disassembling, cleaning and refurbishing machinery as well as making new parts when required.
He says the job comes with challenges, requiring him to draw on knowledge, strength and problem-solving skills, and he enjoys the learning.
“Some days I have to get in holes full of mud with cold water dripping down my back and then fold myself into a pretzel just to do a bolt up,” he says.
“Of course, not all days are like that, but days like these that challenge me mentally and physically are the kind of days that make me enjoy my job.”
While he’s always learning on the job, he says spending time in the TAFE SA workshop is beneficial.
“One of the things I like most about training on campus is that it’s a great opportunity for me to make mistakes in an environment that accepts them as a step to learning,” he says.
During the recent training block, the second-year apprentices learnt to strip down compressors, water pumps rigs and gate valves to diagnose and repair faults, reassemble and then recommission and test the overhauled equipment.