After completing his secondary education at Menzies College Damion was accepted onto the Level 2 National Certificate in Fabrication Welding pre apprenticeship course at the Southern Institute of Technology in 2001. During this time he spent a day a week on work experience in an engineering workshop which provided Damion with additional practical work experience. Damion was offered an apprenticeship with Southern Group Training and placed on secondment with Donald Engineering.

The theory elements of Damion’s Level 4 National Certificate are taught through weekly evening classes which are important to attend as without having passed the theory assessment the apprentice cannot be assessed in his practical skills. Once Damion had completed the theory assessment for a unit standard he was then able to be assessed in the practical elements, providing that he was able to prove that he was competent in the various tasks.

The practical elements of Damion’s qualification are taught in the workshop and through site work and are supplemented through practical tasks taught at an annual three week block course at S.I.T.

Damion needed to maintain a regular record of all the tasks he completed as he collected and wrote up evidence of his competency for assessment. Failure to maintain good records can add considerably to the length of time it takes to complete an apprenticeship. Damion has now completed his apprenticeship and is employed as a fully qualified heavy fabrication engineer.