CJD Apprenticeship Excellence

Employee wins “Apprentice of the Year” again

For the second year running, Luke Jackson has won Apprentice of the Year as a heavy earthmoving mechanic.

Apprenticeship Training Organisation, GTES, supplies the apprentices for CJD Equipment in Campbellfield where Luke is currently undertaking his apprenticeship.

This is Luke’s second Apprentice of the Year award. Last year he was the winner of the Apprentice of the Year in his field and also the winner of the GTES Chairman’s Award which is the overall winner of Apprentice of the Year.

Luke is currently one of six apprentices at CJD Equipment who, as earthmoving contractors, service and repair everything from five and a half tonnes right up to 70 tonnes.

CJD Equipment strives to maintain its reputation for high quality service, hence its focus on the quality and abilities of its employees. GTES has provided CJD Equipment with numerous apprentices over the years who have proven to perform well above expectations.

Many of the apprentices who began their careers at CJD Equipment have continued through their apprenticeships with the organisation and are now qualified tradesman at the company. CJD Equipment has a varied range of employees from first year apprentices working their way up through to qualified tradesman.

CJD Equipment Service Manager, Darren Kelly, and the team at CJD are very proud of their young colleague’s achievements.

Having won last year, Luke knew what the award demanded.

“They pick you first of all on how you do at trade school or TAFE, from there I went to Wagga for an interview and from there they choose the winner,” Luke said.

Educated at St Mary’s Primary School in Lancefield, and then at Assumption College, Luke went on to trade school at Kangan Batman TAFE. He finished the course in two years, which wasn’t a bad effort, considering it normally takes four years. Because he finished so early, Luke decided to undertake an advanced hydraulics course.

One aspect of Luke’s job with CJD Equipment that he enjoys is the travel all over Victoria and to Brisbane and Sydney for training courses every two to three months.

After being brought up around trucks and heavy equipment, Luke says he wouldn’t want to work in any other field. “I love it, so I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

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