Meet Emily, an MTA apprentice specialising in Automotive Refinishing Technology.

Emily's interest in automotive refinishing was sparked by her father, who was once a skilled spray painter himself. He undertook an apprenticeship with the MTA in the 1980s, and his experience inspired her to follow a similar path.

"He recommended me to go through the MTA because they've got a good program set up in place to keep us and the employer safe as well."

During her father's time as a painter, he worked on a number of unique projects, including limos and drag racing cars. Emily helped with prep work, although she left the painting to the experts at the time.

Emily's future goal is to eventually open her own workshop, specialising in car refurbishing. "I like the decoration side of things. My main interests lie in tasks like wrapping, window tinting, waxing and detailed cleaning. I just find great joy watching my art come to life."

"What's special about this industry? It's unique. Not enough people are part of it and we need more people here. As a woman, I didn't often hear about these opportunities probably because the assumption was it would not interest me."

"But the job is very hands-on. If you're a fan of art and such, you'll really enjoy it because it's pretty much what you do all the time. Being precise and ensuring your work is perfect is a big part of it. If you enjoyed art in school, especially sculpting and metalwork, I'd suggest considering this path."