The Motor Trade Association of South Australia (MTA) held our annual graduation ceremony on Friday June 1 celebrating the success and hard work of 96 graduating automotive apprentices.
MTA CEO Paul Unerkov congratulated the successful apprentices, their family and friends saying, “this was a great moment for each graduating apprentice as they reflected on their four year journey with the MTA’s Automotive Training and Employment Centre. Their hard work has paved the way for their success and they now have a chance to make the most of the opportunities their qualification has given them.”
“An apprenticeship in the automotive industry can lead to many opportunities and with a skills shortage for qualified technicians, it is an exciting time to enter the automotive industry. The MTA is the largest GTO in the state and we are looking to grow the number of apprentices we train to help fill the skills shortage currently being experienced by the automotive industry.”
Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni attended the ceremony and spoke on the night about celebrating the achievement of our graduates.
The MTA was also pleased to have DJR Team Penske’s Managing Director, Team Principal and South Australian Ryan Story attend as guest speaker, congratulating our graduates and highlighting his career in the automotive and Motorsport industries.
Winner of the Apprentice of the Year Award Jacob Shubin said, “I hope that other apprentices can see what you can achieve and use those achievements as fuel for their apprenticeship. I will continue to work in the automotive industry, and hope to work my way up to a management position. The best aspect I have learnt from my apprenticeship is life skills and the best advice I can give future apprentices is to work hard and give everything you have.”
Lewis De Luca who won a Certificate of Merit said that he is pleased with his achievements over the last four years.
“It was a long journey but I am glad I finished. The best advice I can give to apprentices of the future is to keep your head down and stay focussed on the job. You need to put in the hard yards to finish your apprenticeship. You may face challenges along the way but you will get through it.”
A full list of award winners can be found below:
| 2017 MTA Award Winners | Sponsors | Apprentice | Host |
| Apprentice of the Year | MTAA Super | Jacob Shubin | Liebherr Australia |
| Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Lewis De Luca | ULTRA TUNE UNLEY | |
| Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Dale Hawke | Adelaide BMW and MINI Garage | |
| 1st Year Apprentice of the Year | Capricorn | Ryan Betts | Newspot Suzuki |
| 1st Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Luke Rainsford-Green | Rhino Crash Repairs | |
| 1st Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | James Kissell | Emmetts Oakbank | |
| 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year | Hip Pocket | Sam Michels | Genio Auto Services Pty Ltd |
| 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Dwyane Van Gelder | Kads Truck N Diesel | |
| 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Jacob Liebelt | Booth Transport | |
| 3rd Year Apprentice of the Year | MAS National | Heath Macfarlan | Adelaide Motors Pty Ltd |
| 3rd Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Alex Pitt | Adelaide Motors Pty Ltd | |
| 3rd Year Apprentice of the Year Merit Certificate | Adam Zito | Sovereign Auto Repairs | |
| Bob Goldsworthy | PPG and I-CAR | Graydon Brand | St Peters Crash Repairs |
| Training Centre Student of the Year | MEGT | Ross Magiafoglou | Adelaide Motors |
The MTA also acknowledged apprentices who took part the Motorsport Repair Team with Ryan Story congratulating everyone who has successfully completed their apprenticeship and took part in an area of the automotive industry he holds close.
The MTA thanks our sponsors that contributed to the success of the evening. Our Gold sponsors included MTAA Super and MAS National. Silver sponsors included Capricorn, Hip Pocket and REDARC. Bronze sponsors included PPG, MEGT, SP Tools, Care D / Norton and with other sponsors including I-CAR, OurAuto and Business SA.
Images from the night can be viewed on the MTA’s Apprenticeship Facebook page by clicking here.