Trevor moulds a career in plastics
30 May 2002
Trevor Sheahan.
Leaving high school early can be the best thing for some people - just ask Trevor Sheahan, who left school part way through Year 11 at 16.
Trevor, of Broadmeadows, is now thriving in his second year of a plastics New Apprenticeship and has recently been named Kangan Batman TAFE's Trainee of the Year.
"I wasn't enjoying school and my attendance was pretty bad, so mum and dad said I could leave if I found a good job", Trevor explains.
"I originally wanted to be a chef, but when I applied for jobs I was told I was too young. But then I saw an ad for a New Apprenticeship in plastics and since then I haven't looked back".
Trevor is a trainee technician at Sneddon & Kingston Plastics, a Preston-based company which manufactures plastic components such as those used in vehicle interiors.
Trevor's job involves liaising between the consumer and the die maker, monitoring the machine's output for parts with defects or incorrect dimensions, and troubleshooting any problems.
At 16, Trevor was the youngest person ever to be employed at Sneddon & Kingston Plastics, but he says the company is now considering hiring other young people.
Despite his youth he has already been given a great deal of responsibility at work. For example, he is relied upon to open up the factory each morning.
Trevor has also been a high achiever in the formal training component of his traineeship, for which he has received two student awards from Kangan Batman TAFE: the Trainee of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Plastics New Apprenticeship.
Trevor completes his off-the-job training in Kangan Batman TAFE's new state-of-the-art Polymer Engineering Centre, which is based at the institute's Broadmeadows campus.
"I really enjoy going to TAFE because the machinery I learn on is exactly the same as at work. I've actually been going to TAFE one extra night-a-week because I want to finish my course early. It should take between three to four years, but I want to finish it in three."
After completing his traineeship, Trevor plans to also undertake the diploma and advanced diploma in polymer engineering at Kangan Batman TAFE.
However, his ambitions do not end there. His long-term plans involve gaining experience working in Asia, and then using the knowledge he gains to open his own factory in Australia.
"I'm lucky because I've found what I want to do for a career, whereas most people my age are still working that out", Trevor says.
"I'd encourage other young people to consider the plastics industry - it's really exciting because everything is changing. You can mould almost anything in plastic, and you can change it to suit your exact needs. You can make it as strong as steel, or you can make it UV or heat resistant - plastic really is the way of the future."
Kangan Batman TAFE has 30,000 students across its six campuses in Broadmeadows, Moreland, Richmond, Coburg, Avondale Heights and Essendon.
Each year in May, Kangan Batman TAFE conducts two graduation ceremonies at the Moonee Valley Racecourse to accommodate all of its graduates and award-winning students.
The second ceremony, at which Trevor will receive his awards, will be held on Friday 24 May. Parchment Press is major sponsor of the ceremony, while Jobs Plus is supporting sponsor.
Trevor has won the following awards:
- Trainee of the Year Award
- Outstanding Achievement - Plastics New Apprenticeship
