Building his career from the ground up

After landing an apprenticeship at a fabrication, welding and repairs business, Ifran's employer chose to send him to TAFE Queensland to complete his Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade (Boilermaking/Welding) (MEM30305). Unsure what to expect, Ifran was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the facilities he had access to at TAFE Queensland.

"They have one of the best facilities in Queensland. You never lack anything here, you get provided with tools and all the right equipment and the right machinery for the work," he said.

"It's pretty much the same as working at your workplace — they provide you with all the equipment you'll be using in the industry," Ifran said.

As well as having access to industry-standard facilities, Ifran was also impressed by the calibre of the teaching staff at TAFE.

"The teachers here at TAFE Queensland, they've been around in this industry most of them for more than 20 years. They've got a lot of knowledge in the industry and have taught me, and the other students, a lot of what they've learned throughout their years," he said.

Now that Ifran is nearing the end of his apprenticeship, he can see how important his training at TAFE has been in shaping him into a skilled tradesman.

"In the four years that I've done at TAFE Queensland, and back in my workplace as well, I've gained a lot of skills. I've gained a lot of knowledge off my experienced teachers and experienced workers and tradesmen at work," Ifran said.

"You do come out of TAFE every time with extra knowledge — you do notice that you've picked up a lot at work in gaining all that knowledge," he said.

Now that his training is nearly complete, Ifran loves having greater freedom and responsibility and work and being able to complete more jobs with less supervision. He's passionate about building things from the ground up and doing a good job for both his employer and his customers.

"The favourite part of the day for me is getting the job done for our customers and getting the job done to their satisfaction," Ifran said.

"To be able to see a job get finished by just that one worker from scratch and seeing customers being happy with the job, it just gives you a good feeling," he said.

After four years of hard work to get his qualification, Ifran knows he's found a career for life and has big plans for the future.

"My plans when I finish my apprenticeship is to hopefully open up a workshop of my own to be able to do car trailers and help out customers with repairs," he said.

For anyone thinking of completing their apprenticeship through TAFE Queensland, Ifran says there's no better place to complete your trade training.

"I'd highly recommend TAFE Queensland. Good facilities, good teachers and their experience in the industry — they're always there and always help you when you need it," he said.

"I'm very grateful to TAFE Queensland for giving me this opportunity and guiding me through. They were there all the time supporting me — the teachers they provide you with all the help that you need."