There wouldn’t be many carpentry apprentices with a degree in accounting and finance, but Hobart’s Oliver Burnell is no ordinary chippy. The 2024 HIA Jim Brookes Australian Apprentice winner with a head for figures has calculated that a future in the building industry is a better bet than crunching numbers in an office.

Those financial skills will no doubt come in handy one day, but right now, the 27-year-old 4th-year apprentice with Ronald Young + Co Builders is reflecting on how life for him changed dramatically in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With his degree behind him but baulking at an accounting career, Oliver was all set to head to Europe for a gap year, sorting out his future plans. But COVID put paid to travel plans, and Oliver was stuck in Hobart with a decision to make. He chose carpentry, something he’d always wanted to do if not for the advice of school and, ironically, his family, given his father is a carpenter and builder and his grandfather was a concreter.

Oliver says he still wanted to do something mathematical, and carpentry seemed the perfect fit. ‘In hindsight, COVID was the best thing that ever happened to me because I knuckled down and started my apprenticeship. At that time, housing in Tasmania went ballistic,’ he recalls.

Making the move 

Not that he regrets his time at the University of Tasmania. He knows it’s given him life experience, and the degree has helped with his training. But he’s quite passionate about how the uni push has overshadowed trades and left the industry short on skills – as well as giving students big HECS debts once they start working.

Oliver welcomes the turnaround in schools, which is now encouraging more students to consider a trade regardless of their academic performance. ‘We’re an industry so short of trades. There’s a belief that only those who aren’t good at school should get a trade,’ he says. ‘Now schools are pushing to do trades if you want to do it.’ 

Oliver hopes to use his award to advocate for the industry and apprentices. As part of HIA’s Tasmanian Apprentice Group, he’s looking at issues such as entry barriers, tailored training delivery and retention. He says the industry and the skills it offers are an opportunity for young people and there are not many jobs where you can actively help with someone’s dream.

‘You need to be willing to listen and learn, ask questions, and adapt to changes and challenges,’ is his advice to those considering an apprenticeship.

His own apprenticeship experience has been positive, mainly due to his employer and mentors, such as carpenter Tom Williams. ‘He’s always been open to my ideas and let me contribute to conversations and problem-solving,’ says Oliver.

He says the company allowed him to develop and grow. ‘I can’t talk highly enough of staff and management to build that culture,’ says Oliver.

Taking pride

The company also impressed upon him the importance of taking pride in one’s work, attention to detail and communicating effectively with clients and team members.

Oliver was no stranger to building sites. He worked during school and uni breaks, but it was a steep learning curve when he started.

He’s grateful a run of government housing jobs kept him busy. This helped him hone his skills and develop confidence. He also learnt that unlike accountancy, there’s no one way of doing things. A memorable project in his third year was a high-end house in Sandy Bay that posed many challenges but also offered opportunities to contribute to the team’s problem-solving.

‘The plans were ever evolving. We had architects and engineers,’ he recalls. ‘I remember thinking, “There are some powerful people here, and I’m in the conversation”. That was pretty cool.’

In the latter part of his apprenticeship, the company handed Oliver more responsibility, tasking him with managing trades onsite. This is a challenge when materials and trades themselves are in short supply.

Willing to learn

Oliver completed his Certificate 4 last year and plans to obtain his builder’s licence, so he sees his future in business, either with Ronald Young + Co Builders or starting his own company. ‘That’s my goal, especially with my accounting and finance background,’ he says. ‘It’s a growing industry. Everyone needs a roof over their heads.’

The General Manager of Ronald Young + Co Builders, James Collins, says Oliver always stood apart from the rest, with his extra maturity, a genuine interest in the industry and willingness to learn. A family, medium-sized company building around 80 quality homes a year, the firm employs 21 staff and more than 100 trades.

‘We’re a tight-knit team and Oliver’s very much a team player,’ says James. ‘He contributes to the team just as much as anyone else.’

In recent years, the company has committed to employing a couple of apprentices, and when Oliver soon comes out of his time, it will bring another one on. ‘We needed to make the change and keep people coming into the industry,’ says James.

He says the company is fortunate to have a lot of experienced trades to pass on their knowledge rather than see it lost to the industry when they retire. It also ensures the apprentices are kept occupied with consistent work, that jobs are well managed, and the basics, such as pay and conditions are covered, so they stick with it.

James says all awards are important, but the company was thrilled when Oliver won the national apprenticeship award. ‘We’re very proud of him,’ he says. ‘Where it’s a reflection of the team or someone in the team, we love it; they have a special value.’

First published 2 July 2024