ROOFING Matters apprentice David Hart has won a prestigious Bert Evans Apprentice Scholarship through the NSW Government.

Just turned 20, David told News Of The Area, “It’s an honour to be chosen and I feel great.

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“It will help me financially to get necessities for my apprenticeship and help me with living expenses and a car.

“It’s going to allow me to save and get in front of bills and living expenses as I couldn’t before.”

David is enjoying the experience at Roofing Matters, which is based in North Boambee Valley.

“I get to learn and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

“It also helps me make the most out of my apprenticeship and learn to be the best tradesmen I can be in the future.”

Local lad David was born at Coffs Harbour Hospital in 2002, spending his early life in Coffs before moving around NSW and QLD while growing up.

David’s employment and apprenticeship is with the Housing Industry Association (HIA) which employs him and partners him up to work, hosted by an HIA member company.

This arrangement is known as Group Training and gives flexibility to the apprentice and the tradesman.

Glen Cassidy, a HIA Business Development Representative and Field Officer for HIA Apprentices in Coffs Harbour told NOTA, “HIA takes on the liability of the apprentice (workers comp, TAFE, payroll etc) and my role is to act as a mentor supporting both the apprentice and the tradesman.

“Because the apprentice’s employment is with us if work runs a bit low or an apprentice is no longer required, we will place the apprentice somewhere else.

“This flexibility is also the same for the apprentice.”

David started an apprenticeship hosted by Phoenix Roofing where he quickly got put to work and now HIA has moved him on to Roofing Matters where he continues to grow and be a valued team member.

“Dave approaches his work understanding that he may not have all the skills and knowledge yet but knows if he asks questions and does all tasks to the best of his ability that the people around him will invest considerable time in teaching him what he lacks and mould him into the best possible tradesman,” said Glen.

“The feedback about Dave is what he does not have in experience and knowledge he makes up in hard work, eagerness, ability to listen and most importantly applies his common sense, and is able to think ahead.

“Dave getting this scholarship will make a massive difference to his life.

“He has a young family he will be able to support in better capacity, taking a heap of financial stress off him and most of all it will help him keep that drive and focus to become a highly skilled roof plumber that we are confident he will be,” said Glen.

Receiving the scholarship, David met Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh at Coffs Harbour TAFE at Glenreagh Street.

“It was a good experience talking to Gurmesh and learning about what he does,” said David.

“He asked me heaps about what we do and what I’ve learned in the past year or so.

“I spoke to him about being on mostly commercial sites at the start of my apprenticeship which was quite overwhelming not having been in that type of industry before then going on to the residential sort of work and heaps of other cool experiences I’ve had in the past year.”

Mr Singh said the Bert Evans Apprentice Scholarships provide first-year apprentices with up to $15,000 over three years, as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to strengthening pathways to vocational education and training.

“The Bert Evans Apprentice Scholarships program is about backing apprentices by giving them a helping hand to complete their training, gain a qualification and secure a brighter future,” he said.

By Andrea FERRARI