Proserpine Apprentice Recognised With State Award

Eighteen-year-old Jake Duggan is proving that passion and hard work pay off, having been named the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for July.

Jake, who is in the second year of his auto electrical apprenticeship, works at Proserpine Auto Air and Electrical. His pathway into the trade began in a roundabout way—when owners Ray and Lisa Boyle asked him to help clean the workshop after school. That part-time job soon evolved into work experience and, before long, a school-based apprenticeship.

Having always been interested in cars, and considering a career as an electrician, Jake quickly realised this trade was the perfect way to combine the two.

“When I was growing up, my dad had earthmoving equipment, trucks and so on, and I just found it interesting,” Jake said.

Now, working alongside Ray, Jake enjoys the diversity of the jobs that come through the business. In an agricultural area like Proserpine, that means not only working on cars and trucks but also machinery and even the occasional aircraft.

“In the summertime, air conditioning is probably our main focus, but we work on the systems in cars, trucks, farming machinery and equipment, even helicopters and planes occasionally,” said Jake.

“And I’m involved any time they have something that’s a bit different. My boss really likes getting a good variety of jobs. At the moment we’re doing dual battery isolator set ups for travellers and caravan owners.”

Jake’s dedication was especially clear earlier this year when a serious road accident left Ray and Lisa away from the business for several weeks. With the help of family members, including Lisa’s father Terry, Jake stepped up to keep the workshop running. He took on stock control, diagnostics, customer service and more.

“To me, that didn’t seem like that big of a thing to do at the time … I just did it,” he said modestly.

His commitment and ability beyond his years has earned high praise from his employers and now state-level recognition. Looking ahead, Jake knows the automotive industry is always evolving and is ready to embrace the changes. Electric vehicles, for example, are already on his radar.

“We don’t see too many around here, but there are a few getting around, and they are becoming a lot more popular,” he said.

“I’m not super-interested in them, but once I have finished my apprenticeship I will look at doing some training to work on them. I want to keep learning, take things as they are and see how things go.”

With his skill, work ethic, and eagerness to learn, it’s clear Jake Duggan has a bright future in the automotive trade.

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Jake Duggan has been named MTA Institute Apprentice of the Month for July (Photo Supplied)

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