Curtis Vidulich with Three Points Classic Service Manager Sam Monty
Curtis Vidulich is the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for June 2021.
The 25-year-old, who works for Three Point Classic in Mount Gravatt in Brisbane, is in the third year of his light vehicle apprenticeship and is proving to be an excellent student, impressing both his employer and trainer with his work ethic, attention to detail and skill level.
“Curtis is clever, well beyond his years,” said James Dixon, Curtis’ MTA Institute trainer. “He is always up to date with his training and is doing work that fully qualified apprentices are doing, and doing it better.”
Working in automotive was not originally something that was on Curtis’ radar. In fact, just a few years ago, he was pursuing a career in an industry far removed from a mechanical workshop and was studying computer games design at university.
“This is a bit of a change,” said Curtis with a chuckle. “But I found I didn’t really enjoy sitting around, working on a computer, and realised I wanted to do something more physical.
“I have a number of friends who know a lot about cars and who work on their own cars – one of them is in motorsport – and decided I’d like to find out more.
“I was actually at the computer store right next door to Three Point Classic here at Mount Gravatt, and my parents convinced me I should just walk in and ask if they were looking for an apprentice. So, that’s what I did.”
That spur-of-the-moment conversation went well, and Curtis started at Three Point the next day, completing four weeks of work experience before signing up for an apprenticeship.
Nearly three years on from that spontaneous move, Curtis is working on some of the automotive industry’s most technically advanced passenger cars as Three Point Classic – which has four service centres across south-east Queensland – specialises in servicing, maintenance and repair of high-end European vehicles from Mercedes, BMW, Audi and VW, as well as British sports car manufacturer Morgan.
Working on these cars, particularly Mercedes, has seen Curtis develop a particular skill for diagnostics – with his employer noting that he has ‘an advanced understanding of complex Mercedes-Benz operating system’ – and he carries out diagnostic work in a number of other areas.
“We do everything here – servicing and tyres, transmissions, cylinder heads, and a lot of CANBUS diagnostic work,” said Curtis. “And I do enjoy that side of things.”
And with Mercedes, BMW, Audi and VW now fully committed to manufacturing electric vehicles, there’s even more advanced technology that Curtis will have to learn.
“Electric vehicles are on their way, and we are discussing and considering the training that we will need to take and that will definitely need to be done,” said Curtis.
With a year left on his apprenticeship, Curtis will be looking to take on the electric vehicle challenge at some point, and said that Three Point Classic was the place where he could develop his skills further.
“I am really happy working here,” he said. “It is a brilliant workshop and the people I work with and for are all great people.”
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (July 2021)
8 July 2021
