The top dog in trade

Forty-year-old Queensland apprentice Troy Connors has been awarded the Refrigeration and Air conditioning Apprentice of the Year award, at the second annual TAFE Queensland – SkillsTech Apprentice Awards evening.

Connors says he was honoured to be recognised and wasn’t expecting to win.

“To be awarded Apprentice of the Year feels pretty surreal,” he says. “It was very overwhelming yet humbling.”

He believes that it is proof people can change careers at any age.

“You can teach an old dog new tricks,” he says. “Being awarded really consolidates the fact that I have worked so hard to be where I am.”

The awards were held in Brisbane’s CBD and celebrated apprentices who have shown exceptional achievement within their trade area, with a total of 14 category winners recognised on the night.

The nominees were selected from over 9,000 apprentices across the building industry.

TAFE Queensland – SkillsTech general manager John Tucker says it is important for industry and employers to have a platform like the awards to build relationships with apprentices.

“Since the launch of the Apprentice Awards in 2018, the event has already doubled in size,” he says.

More information is available at the TAFE Queensland website.