AIRAH News

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

SA Apprentice of the Year James Corral relishes the learning opportunities and growth potential of HVAC&R.

James Corral, Stud.AIRAH, is no stranger to work that involves temperature control. He went from serving up hot meals in a takeaway restaurant to keeping indoor environments cool as an apprentice AC technician.

Before his apprenticeship with VIP Air Conditioning in 2017, the former kitchen lead had logged six years in the hospitality trade. But the strain of clocking 60-hour working weeks gave him pause.

“Hospitality is pretty brutal,” Corral says. “As a manager, I didn’t have many weekends off at all.”

Although leading an 11-person team had imparted to him considerable management skills and a solid work ethic, he thought that a career change was imperative – if only to maintain “sanity”.

“I didn’t want to let work affect my mental health,” he says.

“It got to a stage where I was looking into the future and could no longer see myself doing what I was doing for a career.”

Having now spent three and a half years in the HVAC&R industry, he can safely affirm his decision to change course. It also helps that he has just been recognised as Apprentice of the Year at the 2020 AIRAH SA Apprenticeship Awards.

“I am absolutely stoked and very flattered,” says the 24-year-old. “I didn’t think that I would win at all.”

Sponsored by ActronAir, this year’s awards were held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. The AIRAH SA Apprentice Awards were created to spot and encourage outstanding refrigeration and air conditioning apprentices in the state. As in previous years, the winner also received a $1,000 tool voucher sponsored by CPS Tools.

Other 2020 award winners include Ashlee Seymour from Williams Ref’n & Air Con, who was named Runner Up Apprentice of the Year; Josh Elliot from BHP Billiton Ltd who received the Encouragement Award; and Jayson James from Technichill, recipient of the Airefrig Scholarship.

As a stroke of serendipity, Corral’s boss at VIP Air Conditioning also won the SA Apprentice of the Year Award exactly 20 years ago.

“Jamie told me it was time to make some room on the VIP couch,” Corral says.

“He was pretty stoked to hear that I’ve won. He congratulated me and just told me to do my best.”

SUNRISE INDUSTRY

Asked what first attracted him to join the HVAC&R trade, Corral says he was motivated by the abundant training opportunities.

“It’s a trade where there is so much to learn and it just keeps growing,” he says. “The more I learn, the more I realise that there’s a lot more that I don’t know – so that keeps me going.” While the self-confessed technical rookie finds the steep learning curve daunting at times, he believes that he is in the right industry at the right time.

“As issues like global warming and climate change gather momentum, there’s potential for massive growth in the HVAC&R industry, in terms of how we navigate the changes with new cooling technologies and low-emissions alternatives,” he says.

“Personally, I find it a fascinating environment.”

As summer approaches, the HVAC apprentice is looking forward to getting more work done during the busy season.

“Summer can be a double-edged sword but I’m not complaining,” he says.

“I prefer waking up early and working when the sun is out. It’s better than working late into the night inside a kitchen!” ■

WINNERS’ CIRCLE

Apprentice of the Year James Corral from VIP Air Conditioning

Award generously sponsored by Actron Air AIRAH also thanks CPS Tools for donating a $1,000 tool voucher to the winner

Runner Up Apprentice of the Year Ashlee Seymour from Williams Ref’n & Air Con Encouragement Award Josh Elliot from BHP Billiton Ltd Airefrig Scholarship recipient Jayson James from Technichill

Award generously sponsored by Airefrig

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