CQ residents dominate record apprenticeship applications

Hastings Deering was swamped with 2695 apprenticeship applications this year.

Eddie and Jack Hemings.

It was a case of double trouble for Hastings Deering trainers on Wednesday when Rockhampton twins Eddie and Jack Hemings reported for apprenticeship induction.

The 18-year-old diesel fitter apprentices joined 38 others from across Queensland and the Northern Territory for their first week of work at the machinery giant's Brisbane headquarters for two weeks of induction training before returning to their hometown workshop.

Hastings Deering was swamped with 2695 applications, 1000 in the first week alone, with only 40 chosen.

Of the applicants, 15 per cent were women and 8 per cent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander - an increase of both statistics compared with last year.

Eighteen of the 40 chosen were considered mature age: Rockhampton's Warren Kaerger being the oldest at 46.

It was a record application intake year, and the Hemings were the first twins to be inducted in the same apprenticeship at the same time.

The duo, who often speak together and finish each other's sentences, were thrilled Hastings Deering offered them a place.

"We hoped we might both get in, since we are twins, but weren't sure they would take us both," they said.

"We took it with a grain of salt that if one did and the other one didn't so be it, but luckily they took us both and it has been amazing so far.

"We both have a love for diesel engines and machinery in general. The biggest challenge will be learning all the modules and I guess working and learning around COVID restrictions if it kicks in again.

"Even at school we knew we wanted to do a trade: apprenticeships, and then a trade seems to be the right track to ensure employment even in the most difficult of times."

New Hastings Deering apprentices.

Hastings Deering chief operating officer Mark Scott said apprenticeships continued to be highly sought after.

Applications this year were up 30 per cent compared with 2020, which was itself a record year, up 26 per cent on the intake applications for 2019.

"The diesel fitter apprenticeship is clearly the applicant's preferred trade across all our locations," Mr Scott said.

"Our focus was again to target a diverse range of people for our apprenticeship program which has been showing significant success.

"Mackay and Rockhampton apprentices again dominated the cohort. This is driven both by the calibre of the applicants as well as our pipeline of work in the regions, linked to the resources' sector as well as supporting the construction industry."

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