Award Takes Some Beating
Illawarra Mercury
Monday November 28, 2005
BENJAMIN Matthews has always loved cars and this week his skill at repairing them won him a prestigious statewide panel-beating apprenticeship award.
The Mt Keira 23-year-old received the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority panel-beating Merit Award 2005 at a ceremony in Melbourne last week.Mr Matthews is now a tradesman, and the award recognises "a high level of dedication and achievement" he displayed during his apprenticeship.In the workshop at Notts Smash Repairs in Kemblawarra on Friday, Mr Matthews said he had always tried to work to the best of his capabilities."I've always had a love for cars and my dad was in the trade as well, he was a motor mechanic," he said."I got to go down to Melbourne for the award ceremony, and we got to tour the Ford, Bosch and Kenworth factories, which was very interesting."I want to keep in the trade and keep what I'm doing, because what I love best is what I do."The owner of Notts Smash Repairs, Romano Notarianni, appreciates the benefit of good training - he received the same award following his apprenticeship."It's a good feeling - he likes to learn and we like to teach, I've got four apprentices on - I can't find tradesmen because they keep leaving the trade," he said."He's a very good employee - he is very punctual with a high quality of work and receives very good customer feedback for his presentation and manner."
© 2005 Illawarra Mercury
