Acknowledging The Apprentice Achievers

The Age

Friday September 30, 2005

JANINE PERRETT

IT MIGHT not be the Young Rich List, but the inaugural Business Network Apprentice Hall Of Fame should be just as inspirational to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

As noted in this column last week, there is more to encouraging young people into apprenticeships than just the minimum wage debate.

It is all about reminding everyone - students and parents, employers and employees - that taking up an apprenticeship does not preclude anyone from following their career dream. Starting at the bottom does not mean you can't make it to the top.

Indeed, these pages have featured numerous small-business success stories in that category, like last week's subject, Bruce Dicker from Wagga Wagga, who started as an apprentice aircraft mechanic at 15 and now owns BeeDee Bags, which has sales of $12 million a year.

We recently had the moving story of Mary Toniolo, who as a child was responsible for her underprivileged family. After 20 years of struggling as everything from a barmaid to a chauffeur to a housewife, she is suddenly a multimillionaire with her world acclaimed Bella Dancerella range.

There was Brian Cregan, who started off as an apprentice carpenter but today runs one of Australia's most successful surfwear companies, Ocean & Earth.

One person who has already inspired others is Neil Smith, who left school at 15 to become a lab technician and ended up with his own successful orthotics business. Soon after his story appeared, the City of Ballarat contacted Business Network to use his encouraging case study to help combat the high rate of early school leavers in the area.

And there are those who will feature in coming weeks - a former fitting and machine apprentice who is now running one of Australia's most dynamic spare parts groups, and the soft-hearted young shop fitter from Sydney's west who ran a cafe to support his mother through her marriage break-up and is now running his own business.

My personal favourite is a group I recently discovered called the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), established 10 years ago to support, help and mentor women in this challenging industry.

Last month the group held its Crystal Vision awards in Victoria and among those honoured were a woman who started her own carpentry business at the age of 20, and a former policewoman who became an electrical apprentice at the age of 39.

NAWIC even has an annual "outstanding apprentice" award. Last year's winner was so inspired and motivated, she started her own cabinet-making business - this year she won NAWIC's "outstanding achievement by a practising tradesperson" award.

Follow your dreams indeed.

janineperrett@access.fairfax.com.au