FORMER paramedic David Coultas has a new lease on life after deciding to pursue plumbing as a mature-age apprentice around two years ago.<\/p>\n
Looking for greater flexibility and more time with his young family, as well as an escape from 15 years of late-night shifts on the frontlines, the 44-year-old has not looked back since a job opportunity at Mandurang’s Hydrotek Plumbing popped up at random.<\/p>\n
“I was looking for a trade and I thought there were some great opportunities out there, whether it be working for someone else or owning my own business,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I knew my (now) boss through school pick-ups and school drop-offs and we got chatting.<\/p>\n
“I went and did a couple of weeks with him to get a feel for what he got up to during the day, what was involved and some of the opportunities and specialisations and that type of thing.<\/p>\n
“One thing led to another and here we are.”<\/p>\n
Coultas, who is approaching his third year as an apprentice, said he feels very appreciative and very blessed that his employer gave him a chance.<\/p>\n
“There’s extra costs involved for him, I’ve got a young family, he’s got a young family, so he understands that family life can get a bit hectic at times,” he said.<\/p>\n
“So, we work pretty well together in that space.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a big challenge going back to having to learn new skills, not always getting it right the first time, which can be a bit frustrating.<\/p>\n
“But my boss is super patient, which is really helpful; it’s just one step in front of the other.”<\/p>\n
He called on anyone considering a career change to take the leap into the unknown.<\/p>\n
“It costs you nothing to look into it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I encourage people to open their minds and investigate and talk to others.<\/p>\n
“Decisions don’t have to be made on the spot; take your time and see where it leads.<\/p>\n
“It might lead you into plumbing, it might lead you into something that you actually haven’t even thought of.”<\/p>\n
To top things off for Coultas, the dad was recently one of 25 apprentice plumbers from around the country to share in $75,000 in grants supplied by hot water system manufacturer Rheem, in the form of $2,000 towards his training costs and a $1,000 tool voucher.<\/p>\n
“To be honest, I’d put the application in and completely forgotten about it so when I got the phone call I was quite taken aback,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I thought there’s going to be lots and lots and lots of applicants, which there were, and plenty of other worthy recipients.<\/p>\n
“It took a little while to polish something up and send it in but I don’t think that’s a deterrent for anyone looking to apply.”<\/p>\n
He said the $2,000 will go towards his TAFE fees and the $1,000 on equipment.<\/p>\n
“We’ll see what comes up job-related and I’ll top up on some hand tools and go from there,” Coultas said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FORMER paramedic David Coultas has a new lease on life after deciding to pursue plumbing as a mature-age apprentice around two years ago. Looking for greater flexibility and more time with his young family, as well as an escape from 15 years of late-night shifts on the frontlines, the 44-year-old has not looked back since […]<\/p>\n