Trading up to a business owner

In his thirties, Quinton left behind a job in retail to take up an electrical apprenticeship at The Gordon. Now, he is the owner of Smart Sparkz Electrical and employs an apprentice who also trains at The Gordon.

We asked Quinton about his time at The Gordon.

“I enjoyed the teachers and the fellow students. I found them to be really informative and good to get along with. They gave me the skills that I needed to specialise in the area of most interest to me, which was automation and green, clean technologies.”

Every apprenticeship poses a challenge and for Quinton it was no different.

“One thing that concerned me most was the complexity of some of the units. With each challenging subject I discovered it was the one I embraced and enjoyed the most. Being able to overcome these challenging modules has not only increased my interest and knowledge in my field, but built on my confidence which has translated to my work.”

As a mature-aged apprentice and now successful business owner, Quinton’s experiences provide valuable advice for current and future apprentices.

“I learned quickly to study hard, to listen to my teachers and to try to do any extracurricular activities to help my apprenticeship. From the beginning, I took every module and tried to learn as must as possible. At the completion of my apprenticeship, I finished each module with a High Distinction and with an average of 95% over all my four years, including the three final exams for my A grade license. I am very proud of this result as it shows that hard work and determination can pay off.”

Of course aspirations don’t stop once you achieve a qualification, it’s simply a stepping stone to your next goal in life.

“When I completed my apprenticeship and also the registered electrical contractors licensing course, I still had one goal in mind, to own my own business. I was striving towards a business that implemented new technologies and processes to help customers save money and work towards a greener future for their homes or business. After several years, I have now achieved that goal.”