Jobs aplenty for bright sparks

Cooper Patterson is living every mechanically minded kid’s dream. Mr Patterson went to school in Gunnedah before leaving in the first term of year 11 when he was offered an apprenticeship with Hutcheon & Pearce in his hometown.

The 22-year-old now works as a tradesman mechanic with Hutcheon & Pearce and spends his days servicing John Deere machinery for farmers across the Liverpool Plains. “The opportunity popped up when I left school and I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said.

“I used to harass Pop in the shed for years when I was a little kid pulling stuff apart and then I sort of took it on myself pulling pushbikes apart and really sort of got a love for mechanics and went for it. “The older you get the bigger the toys get, I like that, it’s good fun.”

Stories like Mr Patterson’s are music to the ears of Australia’s more than 350 agricultural machinery dealerships.

But even if 500 more young men and women like him signed up for a job tomorrow, it still wouldn’t be enough to meet the industry’s skilled labour shortfall. Many of these dealerships are now taking matters into their own hands by partnering with or becoming, a registered training organisation to ensure the next crop of staff has skills that are fit for purpose.

Hutcheon & Pearce training and apprenticeship coordinator Shayne Newton oversees the company’s popular TopGun apprenticeship program. “It’s probably the most vital thing for us at the moment, with the shortage we can’t find qualified technicians,” Ms Newton said. “So if we can build them on our own through our program that is tailored around the John Deere brand, it helps with our retention rates and keeping people long-term.”

The program has been run in collaboration with TAFE NSW for seven years and has an average intake of 15 to 20 people. Next year Ms Newton said they are looking to lift this figure to 40. “The apprentices get to come down to Wagga and attend TAFE with our TopGun classes,” she said. “They’re in a class wholly and solely of Hutcheon & Pearce people and the rest of the time is spent learning in the workshops and out in the field with qualified technicians.”…

So why should young people consider this career path? The acceleration in the knowledge building and competency of staff is quite amazing, and we’re after more talent to keep with the industry’s growing need. “It doesn’t matter what part of it you join, you are a much-needed person in that area of expertise.”

A version of this article originally appeared in the Thursday, September 15, 2022 edition of THE LAND. *Quote attributed to McIntosh & Son training and compliance manager Paul Berghella.