Achievements

REGIONAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
JULY 2009

Gavin Press was named the 2009 Apprentice of the Year at the Department of Education and Training Regional Awards. This is the most prestigious of all the apprentice awards.

Gavin is now nominated for the DET NSW Apprentice of the Year and if successful will then progress to the Australian National Awards.

PRE-APPRENTICES COMPLETE COURSE
JULY 2009

A successful partnership between AJS, Skillset and Central West Group Apprentices has enabled 10 students from Bathurst, Orange, Lithgow and Mudgee to complete a six week NSW Department of Education and Training pre-apprenticeship program.

The Electrical Trade Preparation Program offered students the opportunity to complete nationally recognised training from the electrical training package including electrical concepts, safety, using tools and drawings.

General Manager Anthony Stockman said the program was an ideal first step for young people wanting to secure an electrical apprenticeship.

RECOGNITION FOR EMPLOYING APPRENTICES
OCTOBER 2008

AJS has been awarded the 2008 Group Training Australia ‘Host Employer of the Year’ for outstanding employment of apprentices. General Manager Anthony Stockman attended the event and accepted the award at a gala dinner in Cairns. 2004 Olympic Gold Medallist Steven Bradbury was the host for the evening.

APPRENTICE SHOWS PLENTY OF SPARK
JULY 2008

Fourth Year Apprentice Gavin Press has won a gold medal at the WorldSkills Nationals. Gavin took part in Australia’s largest trades competition at Darling Harbour in Sydney, July 11-13. The event featured over 500 young tradies and apprentices competing against one another to determine the ‘best of the best’ in their respective fields. Gavin will now be able to add his gold medal to a long list of prizes he has claimed which include a gold medal in the New Zealand SkillEx and a silver medal in the WorldSkills 2006. He has also been named the Dubbo Apprentice of the Year.

SMALL HOST EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
JUNE 2008

AJS was announced as the NSW Small Host Employer of the Year at the Group Training Association of NSW Training Awards at Sydney’s Luna Park. Manager Anthony Stockman was delighted with the win “It’s a great achievement as we have been employing apprentices with Central West Group Apprentices for over 15 years and we pride ourselves on being an employer of choice and promoter of excellence”.

TAFE STUDENT AMONGST BEST
JUNE 2008

Tradesman John Rudge has been named among the 2008 most outstanding graduating students by TAFE NSW – Western Institute. Throughout his apprenticeship and Certificate III in electrotechnology systems, John has been recognised for his commitment to excellence and dedication. He achieved top marks in each year of his course and been recognised with many awards, culminating a silver medal at the 39th International Youth Skills Competition in Japan last year. The 2008 awards were presented by institute director Adrian Mitchell at a special luncheon at Dubbo.

SILVER MEDAL FOR TOP SPARKIE
NOVEMBER 2007

Outstanding electrician John Rudge has won a silver medal at the Worldskills International Competition in Japan.

Over grueling four days of “Olympic style” competition, John has proven himself to be a world-class performer.

JOHN TAKES ON THE WORLD
NOVEMBER 2007

A team of Australia’s most skilled tradespeople, the ‘Skillaroos’, are taking on the world at the 39th WorldSkills International Competition in Japan.

Our very own electrician John Rudge is the only electrician among the 27 Skillaroos leaving for Japan on November 28. John was selected after his gold medalist performance at the WorldSkills Australia 2006 National Competition.

Over four days of competition in front of 200,000 visitors, John will test himself in the Electrical Installations category against tough international standards.

ANTHONY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR IN KIDNEY KAR RALLY
AUGUST 2007

Our manager Anthony Stockman and his friend Greg Molenkamp participated in the 19th Kidney Health Australia Kar Rally which raised $501,000 and promoted the message on Chronic Kidney Disease to outback Australia, regional Queensland and New South Wales.

Known as ‘The Thunderbirds’ Anthony and Greg along with seventy colourful vehicles and drivers were flagged off at 7:30am on the 15th of August from the Free Spirit Resort in Berrimah on the outskirts of Darwin to commence their 6,000km journey which ended in Dubbo NSW on the 24th of August.

Anthony and Greg did extremely well for their first time in the rally. They came 11th and were awarded Rookie of the Year. They both had a fantastic time and will be doing it again next year.

JOHN NAMED APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
JUNE 2007

John Rudge has been named NSW Apprentice of the Year at a recent awards ceremony in Sydney. John will now represent NSW at the national awards next year. Federal Parliamentary Secretary Virgina Judge presented the award to John which includes a return trip to Paris courtesy of major sponsor Air France.

John was selected because of his commitment to training, gaining various qualifications, high presentation skills and community involvement.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR JOHN
MAY 2007

John Rudge has recently been named the most outstanding Apprentice for 2007 in the Bathurst Region of Central West Group Apprentices. John received a trophy, a cheque and a certificate at a presentation held in Bathurst. He will now compete for the Central West and State Apprentice of the Year title.

TRY A TRADE – SKILLS TO SCHOOLS ROADSHOW
2006

AJS Electrical is a proud sponsor of the Try a Trade Roadshow. Try a Trade is a unique initiative to raise the profile of traditional trades, address skills shortages in the region and connect young people to their future careers.

Try a Trade allows students to have an interactive hands-on experience at various skill and trade areas. Each event consists of up to eight separate booths, each one dedicated for a particular trade or occupation. Interested students, in groups of 2 or 3 will spend 15 to 20 minutes in each area.

The displays are entertaining, informative and allow students to talk with local tradespeople, apprentices and TAFE teachers who volunteer their time to be involved. This motivates students to seek information about future career choices, encouraging them to gain the best possible school education to enable them to have that choice.

The Try a Trade travels in a self contained large heavy duty truck and the industry booths are set up around the vehicle during the event. The roadshows are co-ordinated by Central West Group Apprentices and will be held at 40 High Schools throughout the Central West with no fee being charged to the school.

GAVIN OUTSTANDING IN THE NEW ZEALAND SKILLEX COMPETITION
SEPTEMBER 2006

Second Year Apprentice Gavin Press has defeated a New Zealand tradesman by more than 3.5 per cent in the New Zealand SkillEx Competition at Wellington Polytec at Petone, New Zealand.

The competition was conducted over three days from 20-22 September and the project consisted of a number of modules, including a simulated domestic/commercial installation, a pump control installation, a programming exercise and a fault finding exercise.

Gavin has matched the results of fellow AJS third year apprentice John Rudge who won the previous SkillEx competition in 2004.

YOUNG SPARKIES SHINE AT NATIONAL WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION
MAY 2006

Third Year Apprentice John Rudge is the Worldskills Australia National Electrical Installation Gold Medalist in the 2006 National Competition. Second Year Apprentice Gavin Press has taken out the Silver medal.

The competition was held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre from 5-7 May. The Worldskills Competition is the largest vocational education and training event of its kind in Australia. More than 55,000 people witnessed 450 competitors from 29 regions around Australia compete for the medals in different trades.

Competitors in the Electrical Installation category were asked to wire up a commercial installation panel as well program a lighting control system and fault-find a commercial panel.

As a Gold Medalist, John will be part of an Australian team that will head to Japan to compete in the International Worldskills competition in 2007.

AJS WINS BUSINESS AWARD
2005

AJS proudly accepts the 2BS Bathurst Macquarie Rotary Bathurst Business Award in the Building Services Category at the annual awards night.