Newly minted Diesel Fitter Alex Gleeson says he’s been spoilt for diversity in his work at Northern Stevedoring Services (NSS).
Alex came straight from Kirwan High onto the lease as an apprentice and was immediately immersed in the logistics and transport process.
NSS has one of the largest, most current fleets in regional Queensland and puts an emphasis on maintenance.
He couldn’t wait to get into the work after speaking to Maintenance Manager Jarrod Sawyer, Alex said.
“I think he was looking for someone who got his hands dirty. I got in and did just that. It was good to work within the team as well.
“We all like working with each other. We are good mates in the maintenance shed and I’ve really enjoyed working with them.
“Right now, I’m working on this (excavator) Ex-10, putting a cabin and boom back on after installing a lift point. It’s one day you’re servicing, another day you’re working on the cranes … you’re doing something different every shift. It’s never the same.”
He said the kinesthetic learning style practised through hands-on activity suited him well.
“I think earning while you learn is a lot better than paying while you learn and, for myself, I’m a lot more of a hands-on learner, so university definitely wouldn’t have suited me.”
Jarrod Sawyer picked up on the insight and said a trades vocation was under-rated.
“In our fathers’ time a trade was the norm and you’d proudly say you were a fitter, boiler maker or mechanic. Times have changed and we are now battling data management and other computer courses for people.
“I think they are missing out on the camaraderie that comes with contributing to something tangible, like shifting hundreds of tonnes of concentrate mined in the North West, or discharging a vessel.
“You see your part in that process every day and it can be very satisfying work.”
Alex said comradeship did extend to the front bar of the Commonwealth or Bellevue Hotels after work on Friday, which was a bonus.
Expressions of interest in trades or operator positions can be emailed to jsawyer@nsspl.com.au