Blue Mountains News

Beginning on the job in January were Gerard Holman-Lee (apprentice electrician), Marley Henderson (apprentice plumber), Callam Corney (apprentice heavy vehicle mechanic), Bodhi Miller (trainee arborist) and Lucas Warren (trainee horticulturalist).

Callam arrived at BMCC’s Katoomba South Street Depot fresh from completing his HSC, his keenness for the position sparked by a long-time interest in the industry.

He is now learning how to maintain and repair Council’s fleet of more than 300 registered vehicles – everything from 20-tonne excavators, through to garbage trucks and sedans– as well as the hundreds of mowers, chainsaws and other non-registered machines involved in BMCC’s everyday operations, plus the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) trucks that Council maintains.

“My family's always been very much into earthmoving equipment. The apprentice position became available so I thought I’d give it a crack, it’s a good skill to learn,” Callam said.

“There's a lot of repairs and maintenance on the job, and every now and then we have that big, one-off thing. But for the most part, we're just constantly maintaining and keeping equipment up and running.”

Callam is being mentored by a highly experienced team, which incudes Murray Wakely, Team Leader Mechanical Services.

“When we were signing Callam up, I made note that it's exactly 50 years ago I was signing the papers of my own apprenticeship [as] a truck and plant mechanic,” Murray explained.

“Callam came on board with four important licenses for earthmoving equipment, which is something that really impressed us. Clearly he's got initiative, he's keen to learn, and he's had some experience working with earthmoving equipment already at various sites.

“What I'm really trying to show the apprentices is the nuts and bolts of things. I'm old school … I'm teaching things about the very basics, about bolts and threads, pipe fittings, all the things that go to make up a vehicle.

“I like to give the blokes a chance to do some engineering on their own or to take ownership of a job; to say ‘this is what we want to do, make up the bracket, we're going to make this work’.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for kids to get a start in life, and Council has the capacity to absorb apprentices and train tradesmen for the future. We're seeing a shortage of tradesmen, and it's a good skill - you never lose that capacity to repair something.

“The Council's fleet is the most widespread you'll see anywhere, it's a really great base to learn here. In four years, Callam will take so much knowledge on.”

Callam himself thoroughly recommends the move to an apprenticeship.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for me and a privilege to join BMCC,” Callam said.