Stainless Steel Engineer - Jeff

Description of Job:

I design, manufacture and install commercial and domestic kitchens and bars! (& lots of other things).

I spend some of my day planning and designing new kitchens and equipment. Then I spend most of my day making the kitchen out of stainless steel. I have to polish it to make it look great when I install the kitchen. It takes me about 3 days to make the kitchen and then 2 days to install the kitchen. I take along an apprentice to help me install the kitchen.

I also make fridges, bain maries (where you keep hot and cold food), stair cases, children's playground equipment, art displays, handrails (I made all the handrails at Parliament House in Canberra) and showers.

Experiences:

I've always been interested in doing things with my hands, when leaving college I desperately wanted to do an apprenticeship so I could have a trade behind me.

I really wanted a mechanics apprenticeship but at the time they were hard to get. I became a Stainless Steel Engineer because there was an apprenticeship available at that time.

Opportunities:

I started work as a labourer and after a couple of months I was offered an apprenticeship for 4 years. I was grateful to get the chance to get a trade behind me so if I left do try something else, I could always come back to the stainless steel trade.

Education:

Funny enough at school I loved English and History and wasn't fussed on maths. But now in the stainless steel trade, Maths is what I use the most - Thank goodness I paid attention in maths although it wasn't my favourite subject, I would be unable to do my job without it.

Training:

4 years work on the job and for 3 years 1 day a week I went to Tech (TAFE) for Education.

Employment:

I applied for my job out of the paper. My first pay for the first few years was small but now that I have finished my apprenticeship the money is more worth while.

I have to work in a factory with about 20 other people some being tradesman, some being apprentices. Alot of people who like to do stainless steel work usually like Metal work at school.

Development:

In our work place, the more effort I put in the more wages and luxuries I receive.