Aiden Zemit is the MTA Institute apprentice of the month for November 2022.
About to start the third year of his light vehicle apprenticeship, the 20-year-old works at Formula Automotive, a mechanical workshop in the Brisbane suburb of Greenslopes, and has impressed his employer and MTA Institute trainer with his enthusiasm, inquisitive thinking, commitment, and growing skill set.
“At every appointment, Aiden has all his work completed to a high standard and has his training record book completed,” said Stuart Davies, Aiden’s MTA Institute trainer. “He is always keen to listen and asks some good questions that has us researching answers together. He is one of my keenest students.”
While Aiden’s family has no connection to the automotive industry, he said cars always appealed to him and he began to pursue his dream to work in the industry as soon as he was able.
“No one in my family is in the trade, but ever since I could walk and talk, I’ve liked cars. Since the beginning, I knew this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “I did a pre-vocational Certificate II course in high school and, after finishing school, I went to work as an apprentice at a dealership.”
The dealership experience was not quite what Aiden had hoped, and a few months into his apprenticeship he was able to move to Formula Automotive, a shop that offers a wide variety of services to its customers – from diagnostics and engine tuning to engine replacement, from installation of 4WD accessories to auto electrical services, from air conditioning repairs to roadworthy inspections, and everything in between – on just about any make and model.
It was a bit of good fortune that Aiden found his way to Formula Automotive. His partner’s father works there as a mechanic, and when Aiden offered to help swap an engine in one of the family vehicles, he found himself at the shop chipping in and making a good impression on the shop owner, Peter Anastasas. That impression was good enough for Peter to offer Aiden a job. It was an offer he gladly accepted.
“It felt pretty good when that happened,” said Aiden. “And it is a welcome change, working here. We get a good variety of work and there is not much that comes through the doors that Peter doesn’t trust me to do now.
“I enjoy it all, but I do particularly like the bigger jobs where you get a bit more variety,” he added. “I’ve done quite a few engine swaps and clutches, and I always enjoy them.””
Moving to Formula Automotive when he was still in the first year of his apprenticeship also resulted in switching his training provider to the MTA Institute, and Aiden said that the training model offered by the Institute is one that finds works well for him.
“It works really well,” he said. “Working one-on-one with my trainer is good. It gives me the opportunity to ask all the questions I have, and I’ve always been more of a one-on-one type of learner.”
While he has a couple of years to go until he finishes his apprenticeship, Aiden has begun to think about what direction his career may go. Aware that electric vehicles are going to play a major role in the industry’s future, there is training in that area to be considered, but for the moment, his interest lies in the 4WD sector.
“I have thought about the future a bit,” he said. “I do think about electric vehicles, I know they are coming, and I have accepted that there’ll be more training for that, but I have considered going into a specialist area like 4WDs. I really like them. So maybe I will look at specialising in that part of the industry.”
The MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month is proudly sponsored by Spirit Super.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (December 2022/January 2023)
21 December 2022
