Matthew Pickering’s adventure down under

Last year Matthew Pickering, a former electrical apprentice, and now qualified electrician scooped the top prize in The Joint Industry Board (JIB) Apprentice Exchange programme. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity saw him jet off to Queensland, Australia, for six weeks.

During his time there, Matthew lived and worked as an electrician, with JIB sponsoring the trip alongside Electrogroup: a large training provider in Queensland. When not working on-site, Matthew spent his time there with Electrogroup, shadowing their field officers as well as the Queensland branch of the Electrical Trades Union, visiting sites, and meeting union members, delegates, and officers.

From meeting apprentices at different stages in their training programme in domestic and commercial installation environments to visiting large sites like the Queen's Wharf project that will regenerate parts of Brisbane's city centre, no week looked the same. Matthew was given an insight into the electrical contracting industry, unions, licensing, and training that he will find indispensable as he looks to progress and develop within NG Bailey.

The trip wasn't only work-related, and Matthew spent lots of his spare time exploring the natural beauty and culture that Queensland has to offer. He made sure to tick off a bucket list item by visiting the Great Barrier Reef where he saw wild sharks, turtles, barracuda, and clownfish. When not swimming in the reef, he made sure to visit the Australia Zoo, see the Brisbane Dolphins play, and sample the many breweries and restaurants that Brisbane has to offer.

One of the highlights of his six weeks there was meeting a former NG Bailey employee, Kenny Bell. Kenny moved to Queensland over 5 years ago and, although not part of the exchange programme, took time to help Matthew feel welcome. Kenny took Matthew to Stradbroke Island with his family, where you can spot wild dolphins and turtles around the coast, as well as bars in the centre of Brisbane on work nights. Kenny's friendliness towards Matthew was something that really helped make the experience a wholly positive one, and Matthew was grateful for his hospitality.

Matthew loved his time in Australia and said, "I really enjoyed learning about the cultural and working similarities and differences. It was fascinating to see how our industries differ, and I hope I can take what I've learned to suggest improvements, however small, in our industry back home. I would recommend anyone interested in the exchange to apply. It's a great life experience and an opportunity not to be missed.