Sam’s tricks of the trade Carpenter wins top awards with plans to open his own business

l CAIRNS REGION

| Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

A CAIRNS North carpenter with a passion for construction and the comradery of the trades has taken top honours at TAFE’s 2023 Cairns Trade Excellence Awards on July 27 and is now aiming to start his own construction company.

Ever since he was a child, Sam Everdeen, 25, has had a knack for construction and manual arts. Out of school he shifted his path from a university degree to a career in the trades.

He was Building and Construction Apprentice of the Year and Outstanding Apprentice of the Year.

“I knew I’d be happier in a trade, it’d be a more fulfilling job for me,” he said.

He has been going non-stop since, completing a certificate I in construction, landing his apprenticeship, completing a certificate III in carpentry, and now starting a certificate IV in building and construction.

“This is a very rewarding trade to be in, to be on your feet all day, building things with your hands, to look back at the job at the end of the day and see what you’ve managed to do and it’s a good lifestyle too, there’s a lot of good blokes in the trade and you always have a good time on site,” Mr Everdeen said.

“This award is something I’ve been working towards from the start, so it’s very rewarding to be recognised for all the hard work that I’ve put in.”

Mr Everdeen, who works at Brendan Grants Homes, shows no signs of stopping and has big plans for his future.

“It’s good to be doing well in an industry that sometimes feels underdeveloped and doesn’t have enough young people in it,” he said.

“I definitely would like to bring more people into the trade because it’s a very essential industry.

“Trades have given me confi- dence in myself, and my abilities and I see a lot of future opportunities in this career for me.

“My future goal is to start my own construction company which is why I’m starting my Cert IV, I’m not sure which road I’ll take but I owe it to myself to give it a go.”

Aiming to attract more young people to trades, Mr Everdeen strongly recommended trades as a career.

“If you’ve done some introductory trade work, try and find an apprenticeship,” he said.

“It’s an excellent job to be in if you like being active and it’s a job you can take anywhere, you’ll find great mates here.”