Local Year 11 student Christian Bailey spent a few weeks working alongside our mechanics in the workshop under the guidance of Council's workshop supervisor, Nick Smidt, Christian gained valuable hands-on experience and an inside look at what it takes to be a mechanic in Local Government.
Workshop Supervisor, Nick Smidt, said that Christian was always keen to get involved and learn and that he showed enthusiasm towards every task that was handed to him.
"He was a bit shy at first but over the course of the two weeks he came out of his shell."
With the Clarence Valley being such a large area, there are times our mechanics need to go out onto the work site to fix plant, rather than the plant being brought into the workshop.
"We got Christian involved in the field as well as in the workshop which showed him what it's like to not always be in the one place, so he learnt how to adapt to his surroundings and work with the conditions at hand.
"He did great during his time with us, and he will make a fantastic plant mechanic if he decides to make this his future career."
Originally Christian chose to do his work experience with Clarence Valley Council as the depot was close to the bus stop which made getting to work on time more convenient but after the program, he says he would recommend Council's work experience program to any student.
"I'd recommend the program to any student because you get to work with a skilled team of mechanics who teach you new skills from basic to advanced level mechanical work and you get to see the results of your hard work at the end of the day."
Key tasks Christian assisted with included servicing Council's pool cars and getting trucks ready for registration.
"I'd had mechanical experience while working at home with my Dad but working on heavy vehicles was a totally different experience because you need to use specialist tools for the larger components on heavy vehicles and other days I also got to work on trailer braking systems and regreasing wheel bearings.
"I was surprised by the range of work the Council does because they do different tasks every day so it's a great job if you want a more hands on style of work with supportive co-workers because if you ever have a question, there was always someone there who could answer it.
"I can definitely see a possible career path with Council in the future."
