Mature-age study helps Don keep on truckin'
01 May 2003
Don Smith.
It’s taken Don Smith from Shepparton 23 years to do his apprenticeship, but not because he’s a slow learner. Don Smith studied for his apprenticeship at Kangan Batman TAFE’s Coburg Campus.
Don had always wanted to be a mechanic, but at 18 he tried unsuccessfully to find an apprenticeship. Every prospective employer either told him he was too old and they preferred 15-16 year olds, or that he was overqualified because he had completed Year 12.
But now, at age 41, Don has achieved his goal of completing an apprenticeship as a heavy vehicle mechanic.
Before commencing his apprenticeship, Don worked in various jobs such as in customer service and as a storeman and packer. Over the years, he kept his passion for mechanics alive by maintaining his own vehicle while working as a truck driver and as a delivery driver for a milk company.
Then three years ago, a contact he met through maintaining his own Mack truck told him about a vacancy at D&S Truck Repairs. Don was hired for a month’s work with the company but has been there ever since.
“When I finally got the opportunity to do an apprenticeship, I grabbed it. I was over the moon”, Don recalls. “It’s ironic I couldn’t find one all those years ago as a Year 12 graduate, when nowadays I would’ve been snapped up. Today the automotive industry prefers apprentices to have their VCE, because technology has changed the nature of the work. Take engine diagnosis for example: now it’s all computerised.”
Don admits that completing his apprenticeship has had its challenges, such as supporting his family on an apprentice wage, and travelling from his hometown of Shepparton to Kangan Batman TAFE’s Coburg campus for his training.
“When I first walked into class, it was a bit daunting with all these young faces looking at me. But once I started, I was surprised how I easy I found returning to study. I was really motivated to learn, having wanted to do it for 20-odd years”, he says.
Don’s dedication to his training has won him the Trucks in Action Award (presented by Gippsland Field Days), and the Automotive Gold Medallion, which is presented to the top student in Kangan Batman TAFE’s entire automotive school (covering two campuses in Coburg and Richmond).
Aside from winning awards, Don says the best reward of returning to study has been making his family proud.
“I’ve got four children and 11 grandchildren and I’ve shown them you can learn at any age, you don’t stop learning when you finish school.”
Kangan Batman TAFE has 24,000 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 Donald will receive his award, will be held on Friday 23 May. Parchment Press is the major sponsor of the ceremony, while Jobs Plus is the supporting sponsor.
Don Smith a heavy vehicle mechanic has won the following awards:
- Gold Medallion Award – Automotive
- Silver Medallion Award – Heavy Vehicles
- Trucks in Action Award, presented by Gippsland Field Days
- Outstanding Achievement Award – Level 3 Road Transport Mechanics
