Hastings Deering welcomes next generation of skilled apprentices  

Leading Caterpillar dealership, Hastings Deering, has welcomed its 54-strong cohort of apprentices from nine Australian locations at its headquarters in Brisbane earlier this year, representing trades from engine reconditioning, auto electrical and electrical fitter mechanics to boilermakers, diesel fitters and mechanical fitters.

The gathering officially marks the start of the apprentices' four years of training with the dealership group, where they will be trained in servicing, maintaining, and constructing iconic Caterpillar machinery.

Among the cohort were Brisbane brothers, Mason and Chase Elliot. Despite their two-year age difference, a fast-tracked Queensland Certificate of Education has enabled 16-year-old Chase to align his career with his older brother.

With more than 600 apprentices completing training with Hastings Deering in the last 10 years, intakes are increasingly more competitive and not restricted to those recently completing their schooling, Hastings Deering said.

Among the five women inducted into this year’s cohort is Amelia Flor who has spent the last year in an apprentice administrative role with Hastings Deering, gaining exposure to what a ‘hands-on’ career looks like.

“I was able to see firsthand how impressive our female apprentices were, the support they had as well as the way they easily fit in at Hastings Deering,” she said.

“This gave me the confidence to give an apprenticeship a go.

“Working within the business already, I know I’ve made the right choice and that my career really starts here.”

Amelia is one of 22 current Hastings Deering employees accepted into this year’s intake, who have taken the leap to reskill into a trade. Joining her from the company’s Mackay business centre is Aleck Cotterall who has spent the last 10 years with the business as a warehouser and then later a trades assistant.

“As a mature aged apprentice, I have taken my time to decide what the next step is for me, and this is it. I know I’m ready to take on the challenge of getting my certification as a diesel fitter and am going to back myself 100 per cent of the way,” he said.

Hastings Deering has been a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) since 2007 and is committed to practical education and cultivating the skills of upcoming trainees and apprentices to ensure they are best prepared for the future.

In response to a rapidly innovating sector, the company’s apprenticeship programs embrace simulation training and experiential learning in preparation for future technologies like autonomous machinery and robotics.

“The value of our program speaks to the career opportunities and the culture that is embedded throughout Hastings Deering,” said the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mark Scott.

“In fact, many leaders within our business started as apprentices. It’s not simply a role but the opportunity of a career path for a lifetime.

“The next four years of competency-based training won’t be easy, but our new apprentices are in very good company here.”

Applications for Hastings Deering’s 2025 apprenticeship intake opens in May this year.