Red Rooster to team Hutchies
11 October, 2022 3 min read
When Travis was in Year 12, he knew he wanted to get an apprenticeship but didn’t know where to start. A conversation with his high-school construction teacher helped him find CSQ’s Trade Start program delivered by Hutchinson Builders, which helped him get a foot in the door with Hutchies.
“I knew I wanted to do a trade and I knew uni wasn’t for me … I talked to my construction teacher and found CSQ’s Trade Start program. When I finished school, I quit my job at Red Rooster and went into the program, I did the 12-week program which included work experience and got my carpentry apprenticeship with Hutchies.”
“I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself, so it was the perfect program to give me on-site time and figure out if I like it.”
Though he is only part-way through his four-year carpentry apprenticeship he already has high ambitions:
“My main goal when I started this carpentry apprenticeship with Hutchies was to end up in management.”
Like any promising future manager, Travis is focused on building relationships with his team working collaboratively to get the job done.
“I just love the connections you make, it’s all different people coming together to get a job done. At the end of the day, everyone comes from different places, and we all come together to work on one job.”
In early October, the site at Redland Bay is already starting to get warm and, as Travis remarks, “working in the sun all day gets a bit rough on the skin. With my tan lines, when I have my shirt off, I look like a turtle out of its shell.”
Even with the heat of summer looming, though, Travis is excited for his future in construction. Apart from his management aspirations, he says wants to stay on with Hutchinson Builders after he finishes his apprenticeship.
“Staying with Hutchies is the goal. They’ve treated me well, and I like the team I work with, so hopefully I can stick with them.”
When asked what advice he has for anyone considering a career in construction, Travis says it is all about work experience:
“Do as much of it as you can. You don’t realise how important getting that experience is until you’re in a trade. People who have done work experience are noticeable because they have already picked up the basics and know more.”
As well as the valuable skills work experience offers, Travis thinks it is also an important way to find your place in the industry:
“It’s good just to pick up what the vibe is like on a job site and see if you actually like doing it, because you will spend five to six days a week on the job, so you want to make sure you like what you’re doing.”
For now, Travis is focused on making meaningful connections and getting as much experience as he can through his apprenticeship. Travis is looking forward to his career in construction, and keenly waits to finish his training so he can take advantage of CSQ funded courses and get an edge on his management aspirations.