Mentoring Achieving Outstanding Results

Apprentice diesel mechanic Jesse Dippel is enjoying the support his mentor Phil Wyley only ever dreamed about.

The 27-year-old has just started his second year of three at the MTA SA/ NT’s Darwin workshop.

Jesse originally applied for the course as a 17-year-old but with no available positions, he opted to help his father and uncle drive road trains between Darwin and Perth.

When he was finally accepted, his exuberance and enthusiasm almost got the better of him.

“I was a little bit rushed in my brain,” Jesse said.

“I soon learned just to slow down, take your time and not overlook anything on the job to ensure there are no mistakes being made.”

For his part, Phil has seen it all before.

“You often get two types of apprentices, those who are overenthusiastic and those who aren’t enthusiastic at all,” he said.

“Unfortunately, those who are overenthusiastic can be guilty of making mistakes too.

“Once Jesse found a balance of how to work well in the workshop, ask questions and communicate - which is the most important thing - he’s gone from strength to strength in a very short space of time.”

It culminated in 90 hours of work that Jesse rates as his finest achievement yet – a full engine rebuild on a Cummins Signature Gen 2.

“I stripped it down to absolutely nothing, just bare bolts and bits,” he explained.

“Cleaned it all up, got all new parts that needed to be replaced and other parts that needed to be machined, put it all back together, fired it up… and it fired straight away.

“Proudest moment of my career.”

Mentorship

It is a mountain he may never have climbed without the MTA’s mentorship program.

“Even if you think you don’t need support, they are always there to ask you questions you didn’t even know needed to be asked.

“It’s very important to have them around and I would definitely recommend other apprentices utilise their services.”

Phil works with about 115 apprentices across all automotive trades.

He took the MTA role after becoming “burnt out” working as a service manager in the industrial refrigeration industry.

His passion for the role is fueled by memories of his own troubled apprenticeship.

“I was bullied, harassed and abused. It was a baptism of fire.

“I was told I was hopeless, useless, called every name under the sun and basically used as labour hire.

“I was viewed more as an inconvenience rather than someone who was capable of learning.

“I always vowed that I’d never treat apprentices the way I was treated.”

The MTA has applauded the NT Government for acknowledging the success of our program and agreed to fund it for a further two years.

Retention remains a significant challenge nationally with one apprentice dropping out for every two who begin a trade.

Our automotive apprentice mentoring program has bucked this trend, achieving an extraordinary 96% retention rate amongst program participants.

MTA SA/NT CEO Darrell Jacobs said “I would like to extend our appreciation to the NT Government, in particular Minister for Business and Jobs Joel Bowden and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade for their continued support.”

Incredible Results

Phil’s efforts have helped reduce the first-year attrition rate from around 50 per cent to closer to five per cent.

“If there was someone like me to approach when I was coming through, it would have made life so much easier,” he said.

“The look on Jesse’s face when he showed me his rebuild, just that pride and sense of achievement is something I really get enjoyment out of too.

“I look at the landscape now, the opportunities are endless for apprentices.

“They just have to have the resilience to get through the early stages of an apprenticeship.”