Timothy Louden – April 2022 Apprentice of the Month
imothy Louden is the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for April 2022. The 19-year-old, third-year light vehicle apprentice has been working at GMW Mechanical & Towing in Gladstone since he was 17 and has impressed his employers and his MTA Institute trainer with his skillset, enthusiasm, and initiative.
According to his trainer, Nev Donaldson, Timothy ‘is very keen with his training, all work is completed on time, and he researches areas to extend his knowledge. He will make a great mechanic and is a pleasure to train.’
Stepping into an automotive apprenticeship was always something that Timothy had in mind. His father is a transport Inspector and a trained mechanic and, naturally enough, Timothy found plenty of his childhood was spent helping dad out.
“My dad had his own business and I used to go over there after school and help and watch what he was doing. I used to get stuff, pull it all apart and see how it goes back together. I always liked that,” said Timothy.
“When I finished Grade 11, I got the job here,” he added. “My dad knows the owners, John and Libby, and he let them know I was looking for a bit of work and they asked me to come in for an interview. I went for it, and I haven’t looked back.”
Working at GMW means Timothy gets to work on a very wide range of vehicles and jobs. The business offers maintenance and repairs on all makes and models (petrol and diesel) – including caravans, RVs, and motorhomes – and, as a towing business too and RACQ repairer, just about any problem can appear at the workshop.
“We do pretty much everything here,” said Timothy. “And I get to work on all of that – including the service and repairs of caravans which could be brakes, springs, axles, wheel bearings and so on – as well as do engine swaps and cylinder head work.
“I really like the variety of work we get. There’s something different every day,” he added. “I really enjoy working on the mechanical internals of motors – swapping cylinder heads over and that sort of thing. That is very interesting.”
Having trained with the MTA Institute since he began his apprenticeship, Timothy said that the one-on-one training the Institute delivered was proving to be a beneficial way to learn. He also added that future training – given the direction the industry was heading and the technology involved, especially with electrification and electric vehicles (EVs) – was almost certain.
“I hope there will be more training,” he said. “I don’t think many places know too much about them [EVs] apart from dealerships, so I will look to do some EV training and it will be quite interesting to learn that aspect of things.”
As for his long-term future, while he has an eye on EVs and how the industry is changing, the work he does now is something he would like to continue to do.
“I see myself staying here for a while once I have finished my apprenticeship,” he said. “From there, I wouldn’t mind having my own business one day, and try and keep things as we do here – I enjoy the system that we have and what we do.”
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (May 2022)
10 May 2022
