Pac Air Services technician Oliver Stephen-Smith started out by doing work experience at an air conditioning company during the school holidays.
“Then when I graduated high school that same company offered me an apprenticeship,” Oliver says.
Work experience ignited his interest in the trade and he was keen to learn more.
“The best part of the trade is learning how everything works from the electrical side to refrigeration, then there is the hydraulic, sheetmetal side of our work; there is a lot of variety,” he says.
Asked to nominate the toughest part of the job and the 21-year-old says there really isn’t any downside.
“Climbing in a roof space on a hot day sucks but we hardly ever do that,” Oliver says.
In future, Oliver says he would like to eventually manage jobs and provide pricing.
“I would like to do more on the paper side of things and work on the tools occasionally,” he says.
“I just need to gain more knowledge and skills first.”
Sounds like Oliver is on track to be a manager or supervisor one day.