NECA announces Apprentice of the Year winners

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) annual Victorian Apprentice of the Year Awards recognised three electrical apprentices for their demonstrated consistent levels of excellence throughout their training.

The three winners, Ali Hasan, Roland Hill and Brian Roche, will all be in the running at the national NECA Apprentice of the Year Awards in November.

According to Philip Green, NECA Victoria Executive Director, the judges were impressed with the development of the three apprentices.

“The judges compared the academic achievements and on-the-job accomplishments from all of the submissions and decided that these three are the best-performing apprentices in Victoria,” Green said. “It’s great to see mature-age apprentices excelling in the industry showing that it’s possible for anyone who is committed to make a good start on their electrical career regardless of age.”

Green also highlighted the role of employers in developing electrical apprentices: “Without the assistance of the business community, apprentices would not get the on-the-job training that is so important for the future of our electrical and communications industry.”

“With the great training they have obviously received, these three outstanding apprentices should have no trouble finding work in an economy crying out for skilled electricians and communications workers,” said Peter Hall, Victoria State Government Higher Education and Skills Minister.

Ali Hasan, a fourth-year apprentice from Frankston, took out the best apprentice in the Communications Category. Hasan was part of the Appselec communications team for the Southern Cross 2 Australia Post project. His attention to detail won him the award.

“My ambition is to further my training and broaden my knowledge in the communications industry, eventually being able to not only install but be able to move into designing communications styles for major projects,” Hasan said.

The Commercial/Domestic category winner was 39-year-old Roland Hill. Employed by NECA Apprenticeships, Hill attended Box Hill TAFE, where he consistently achieved marks above 90%.

“I continue to seek employment that can strengthen my skills,” Hill said. “During my training as an apprentice I have frequently asked myself what I wanted to do once I became qualified. The answer to this combines something else that I have only dreamed about but never thought I could achieve and that is living and working in Antarctica.”

Twenty-six-year-old Brian Roche commenced his adult apprenticeship with Gordon McKay and won the Industrial category.

“Many of the machinery installations that I have participated in have had complex control systems comprising PLCs linked with other parts of a production line as well as newer technologies,” Roche said.

He aims to work in Europe with companies using this technology.