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rHEEm aPPrEnTiCE PlumbEr granTs
Rheem Australia announces 2019 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants recipients
Ten apprentice plumbers from around Australia have 3,000 reasons to smile after being named the 2019 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants recipients. Rheem Australia has been running the program since 2012 with the aim to help foster the future generation of plumbers. This year there were $30,000 in Grants. The 10 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants recipients each receive $2,000 to go towards their college fees and/or textbooks, a $1,000 tool voucher, and a tool tote to help carry their tools. “From speaking with apprentice plumbers – current and past – their teachers and their employers, these are things that go a long way to help up-and-coming plumbers to achieve their goals,” says Rheem CEO, Chris Taylor. This year’s recipients are aged from 15 to 43 and hail from around the country – from remote regions to metro areas – and each has a clear aim: to be a great plumber.
They range from Blake bin Swani, a young indigenous man and father of two from Broome, WA, who is also a local football coach and mentor for other local Noongars; mature age apprentice Reannon McCann from SA, a stand out AFL Women’s player and captain of her premiership winning team for past two years; NT father-of-five, Carl Macic, who is training to be a plumber while also working as a policeman and would like to one day work with his kids in a plumbing business (“That would make me the happiest plumber on the block!” he says); and Luke Cox, whose family’s savings had to be used to pay for Luke’s surgeries when he suffered heart failure in 2017. According to Luke’s employer, while recovering from surgery to receive a pacemaker, Luke “wanted to just go back to work!”
“These apprentices represent the future generation of plumbers and we are proud to be able to provide support,” says Chris Taylor. “The plumbing industry has provided immense support to Rheem for more than eight decades and these Grants are designed as a thank you and to help foster apprentices. We are thrilled to play a small role in helping encourage those who might be struggling financially or need a morale boost to continue with their studies.”
Recognition Awards
Due to the high standard of applicants this year, in addition to the 10 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants, Rheem is also awarding five apprentice plumbers with a special $350 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Recognition Award. “It was yet another tough decision for our judges this year, with so many worthy apprentice plumbers applying!” says Taylor. “We wanted to provide some encouragement to several other apprentices, hence providing these additional Recognition Awards.
“We would like to thank all our applicants, their employers, TAFE and RTO teachers and plumbing merchants. Since we launched the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants in 2012, we have discovered just how many amazing apprentices there are around Australia.” The applications were reviewed by three judges from the TAFE sector, the Master Plumbers Association and private industry. This year, two SA apprentice plumbers received Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants:
§ First-yearapprentice,ReannonMcCann,35,hasadoublechallenge-being a mature-age apprentice and working in a male-dominated industry. But in the words of her employer, “she doesn’t let this get in the way of her learning but [it’s] a motivation to continue to challenge herself”. Reannon worked in hospitality for around 13 years before she made the switch into plumbing. “I’d always found the prospect of working in a trade appealing,” she says. “Many of my friends working in this field spoke so highly of the industry, so when I
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was given the opportunity by TAPS to pursue plumbing, I grabbed at it with both hands. So far, it’s been a great decision and I’ve loved every aspect of the trade.” Away from the site, Reannon is a stand-out AFL Women’s player and captain of her premiership winning team for the past two years.
ArthurLynas,33,isanothermatureageapprenticewhomadethedecision to change careers and become a plumber. And despite major financial challenges, the third-year apprentice is determined to complete his apprenticeship and one day start a business that provides sustainable services and products. Arthur, who previously worked as an auditor, made the switch from accounting as he wasn’t seeing much job satisfaction. “The end result from a month’s worth of work was handing up a file to my boss and moving onto the next job,” he says. “With plumbing I am able to see a result at the end of the day and generally feel valued by customers who are happy to see their issues resolved.” Given Arthur already had a degree, it meant he wasn’t eligible for funding for his TAFE fees and he’s covering the $12,000 in fees, which isn’t easy on an apprentice’s wage.
Rheem Australia awards these Grants to help apprentices like Arthur and Reannon. The aim is to help foster the next generation of plumbers and provide recipients with financial support to help achieve this. Since the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grant program was launched in 2012, almost $250,000 in Grants and Recognition Awards have been awarded to apprentice plumbers. The full list of this year’s recipients can be found on the Rheem website – www.rheem.com.au.
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Above: Arthur Lynas - SA
Above: Reannon McCann (SA)