Grace Burnett, Benny Jackson and Matt O’Sullivan crowned best apprentices

What does a plumber, a boilermaker and a rigger have in common? Find out what motivates Toowoomba’s favourite apprentices:

Second year apprentice boilermaker Grace Burnett at Kotzur Toowoomba is named as the best apprentice in an online poll by The Chronicle, Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Sparkies, riggers, boilermakers and plumbers are a just a few of the trades apprentices undertake in the Darling Downs.

Turning fresh, green-to-the-job enthusiasm into a master skill set is what these apprentices are doing as they not only learn the tools of the trade, but also gain broader qualifications related to organisation, planning and their chosen.

More than 20 apprentices were nominated across the trades, in a tough competition with three apprentices clearly taking the lead in The Chronicle’s online poll.

Meet Toowoomba’s favourite apprentices:

1. Grace Burnett

Second year apprentice boilermaker Grace Burnett at Kotzur Toowoomba is named as the best apprentice in an online poll by The Chronicle, Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Coming in first with a whopping quarter of the total vote is apprentice boilermaker Grace Burnett.

Grace had been working for five years in admin at Kotzur Toowoomba, a bulk storage manufacturer, when her supervisor asked her to “come out on the floor and have a crack” at boilermaking.

“So I had a trial for a couple of weeks and loved it and started the actual apprenticeship,” she said.

Learning about all the different welders and how they contribute to the finished product is one of the reasons she loves her job.

“I love to weld something and then see the end product afterwards,” she said.

“It’s pretty cool to see your improvement at the end.”

As for winning Toowoomba’s favourite apprentice, she was pretty shocked and really didn’t think it would happen.

“I’m proud of myself that I’ve got people behind me that believe in me,” she said.

As the only female apprentice and the only female on the workshop floor in Toowoomba, Grace’s confidence and ability in mastering the skill with dedication makes her a fantastic role model, Kotzur marketing coordinator April Lancaster-Smith said.

“Grace’s journey is a testament to what can be achieved with the right mindset and support, and we are incredibly proud to have her as part of our apprenticeship program,” Ms Lancaster Smith said.

2. Benny Jackson

Apprentice plumber Ben Jackson has been voted as one of Toowoomba's favourite apprentices. Picture: Supplied

On the trail behind Grace is fourth year apprentice plumber Ben Jackson with 17 per cent of the votes.

As an apprentice with SB Plumbing, Ben was drawn to plumbing because of the variety of work it involves.

“No day is the same,” he said.

“I love the satisfaction of seeing the finished product especially copper work.”

Installing a hot water system by himself for the very first time was a memorable experience, he said.

His advice to other apprentices was to “ never be afraid to ask questions and don’t be scared of making mistakes - we all do”.

He said it felt great to be nominated as a favourite apprentice.

“The support I’ve gotten from so many people with th voting side of things is pretty special.”

3. Matt O’Sullivan

First year apprentice rigger Matt O'Sullivan has placed third as Toowoomba's favourite apprentice. Picture: supplied

Placing third with 13 per cent of votes is first year apprentice rigger Matt O’Sullivan.

Having a good boss and workmates is what makes him turn up to work each day, Matt said.

The 25-year-old started out as a labourer and said he “always had an interest in cranes”.

He took up the opportunity to be an apprentice rigger with Todd Pimm at Westbrook’s Pimmbuilt, and with a number of construction tickets in his belt he’s making the most of the qualifications learning not just about how to be a rigger, but broader project management and business insights.

Working as an apprentice has taken him all over Queensland, from Mackay to Charleville and the Gold Coast and he said he was “stoked” to be one one of Toowoomba’s top three apprentices.

The most memorable project he’s worked on was the Outback Museum at Charleville, he said.

His job takes him to different locations every few months, with a variety of projects, from schools to warehouses.

For anyone thinking of being a rigger “just do it, it makes good money, it’s exciting and you can work anywhere, from mines to offshore”, he said.

“It’s exciting and I’d recommend it to anyone,” he said.