WORKING with vehicles since he was three years old, Linton resident Aaron Roberts has tackled larger and larger vehicles in the year since.<\/p>\n
Moving from dirt-bikes to light vehicles and now tractors, Mr Roberts\u2019 interest in automotives has seen him announced as a finalist in the 2023 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards.<\/p>\n
Nominated in the Service Apprentice of the Year category, he currently works as a technician for Brandt Ballarat where he\u2019s undertaking an apprenticeship as an agricultural diesel mechanic.<\/p>\n
He said his eagerness to keep learning could have been a driving factor in his nomination.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing an adult apprentice, I\u2019d be a good ambassador for other people my age, late 20s to early 30s, to make a change and broaden their skills and do something different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started my apprenticeship at Brandt in December last year. Moving from maintenance and repairs on cars to an agricultural diesel role, it\u2019s very different.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably 90 per cent is all new and things I haven\u2019t done before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Roberts is one of 21 Australian finalists in the awards and will travel to the organisation\u2019s national headquarters in Brisbane later this month for a second round of trials and judging.<\/p>\n
Prior to joining Brandt, he worked as a light vehicle technician for 14 years, first in Melbourne and then at Ballarat Toyota.<\/p>\n
Mainly based in the workshop during his previous career, Mr Roberts\u2019 work at Brandt sends him to farms throughout the region from Skipton and Beaufort to Dean and Daylesford.<\/p>\n
He said he enjoys the freedom of his current job.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing independent onsite without having someone to help you, and figuring something out by yourself is a real self-achievement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe challenge is having to adapt to a completely different environment with different machines. I didn\u2019t grow up on a farm and the first time I drove a tractor was when I went to Brandt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis award, if I get it, will definitely help me seek out different roles at the dealership, whichever way I want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WORKING with vehicles since he was three years old, Linton resident Aaron Roberts has tackled larger and larger vehicles in the year since. Moving from dirt-bikes to light vehicles and now tractors, Mr Roberts\u2019 interest in automotives has seen him announced as a finalist in the 2023 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards. Nominated […]<\/p>\n