Northern Territory plumbing apprentice, Michael Lane, is one of a number of TAFE students across Australia to be presented with the Gold Copper Industry Training Award.

We spoke to Michael about the award and his plumbing traineeship.

What is the Gold Copper Industry Training Award all about?

It is awarded to TAFE students who have excelled in their training or had outstanding results in different subjects. Last year I received the award for Most Outstanding Trainee in Plumbing Stage 3, and this year for Most Outstanding in Gasfitting.

The award is supported by the Copper Development Centre and I receive a gold medallion, plaque and prize money.

Why did you decide to train as a plumber?

I am already qualified as a shop fitter joiner, but when I came to the Territory with my partner I wasn’t able to get much work in my trade here.

After a while I got sick of doing odd jobs and decided I needed a new trade. I wanted a licensed trade, so it was a toss up between becoming an electrician or plumber.

My mate talked me into going with plumbing and I knew a guy who was looking for an apprentice so I put myself forward.  Thankfully he agreed and I’ve never looked back.

How long is your traineeship?

I have attended trade school for the last three years at Charles Darwin University. As I’m based in Katherine, I travel to Darwin for a month’s block of training at a time.

I’m in my fourth year of the apprenticeship, but my employer, Lindsay Turner, has just signed me off six months ahead of the required time frame. The apprenticeship runs on a competency, so if you can fulfil your competency then you can be signed off in agreement with your training provider and employer.

At 29 years old, what is it like being a mature age apprentice?

There are many benefits to employers taking on adult apprentices because the older guys know what to expect and tend to stick with things a bit more. I’ve seen many of the younger guys drop away when the going gets tough.

Because I already had a trade, my employer didn’t get the usual government subsidy for taking me on. He took a bit of a gamble on me and I’m really grateful for that as becoming a plumber is one of the better things I have done in my career.

What type of plumbing are you involved in and do you use copper?

We mainly contract to the RAF base and do a lot of maintenance on the base. We also work on new construction and domestic maintenance around town.

My employer’s preference is copper – he has been working up here for 15 years and has used it extensively during this time.

The only advantage I can see that plastic has over copper is that it’s a bit quicker with the quick fit systems, but this is balanced by the longevity of copper – it lasts much longer in this environment. I’ve seen many examples of plastic pipework being completely chewed through by rats in the community houses around here.