Changing careers well into your adulthood can be daunting, especially when you are beginning again from scratch. Starting a new career in the mines, Allan’s journey as a mature-aged job seeker is a reminder that experience and skills are often transferrable.
Allan’s previous role was in the aviation industry as a Technical Records Officer for Aircraft Maintenance Control. This required excellent communication skills as he was liaising between departments. He also gained knowledge of mechanical terms which came in handy when Allan decided to undertake an apprenticeship Heavy Diesel Fitter opportunity with BHP’s FutureFit Academy.
The BUSY Group supports FutureFit Academy learners upon commencement of their training right through to completion and offer mentorship and a regular point of contact throughout. BUSY At Work, a part of The BUSY Group, is one of the largest and longest-serving Australian Apprenticeship Support Network providers.
Sue Loch, Chief Commercial Officer at The BUSY Group, said “Mature-aged workers looking to switch careers are excellent candidates for large organisations like BHP who are looking for skilled and dedicated workers.”
Now a qualified Heavy Diesel Fitter, Allan said of his career change, “Maintenance is important in many industries. I thought if I could speak the language of ‘fitter and plan maintenance’, it would help close a communication gap.
“I’m still learning every single day! It has been an amazing journey, meeting people and working out the challenges of both career and life together.
“Being an adult apprentice was challenging, I changed careers midlife and, thankfully everything worked out.”
Somewhat fittingly (pun intended), Allan now works in ‘Area C’ where the older machines come for inspection. He said, “Due to these specific machines coming towards the end of life, there are a lot of component changes. We are averaging one engine change a shift or sometimes two.”
When asked what his aspirations are for the future, Allan said, “My aspiration is to be in Reliability/Planning, so I can relate well as a fitter to plan and predict component longevity using maintenance history from Equipment.”
