The future of the electrical industry is looking bright after the announcement of the 2020 winners of the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) National Apprentice of the Year Award. Despite 2020 being a challenging year these apprentices persevered and excelled in their field and are deserving of this national recognition:

• The NECA Commercial/Domestic Apprentice Category: Jake Sardelic, Nilsen (WA)
• The NECA Communications Apprentice Category: Peter Sheridan, AHT Group (SA)

Oliver Judd, CEO of NECA said:

“It is a pleasure to recognise hardworking apprentices who are excelling in their field and present a strong future for our industry.

“NECA has a long-standing commitment to apprenticeships through our programs and support given to member companies. Jake and Peter are two apprentices who demonstrate the commitment and skill which we highly regard in our industry.

“I congratulate their success and commend the educators and hosts involved in their training - these awards are as much for the apprentices as they are for their teams.”

Jake Sardelic, Nilsen (WA), winner of the NECA Commercial/Domestic Apprentice category said:

“I love the trade because of the huge amount of satisfaction I get when I can step back and see my work completed. Also, the strong sense of accomplishment hearing positive feedback from the clients.

“Working with NECA through the pre-apprenticeship program and then throughout my apprenticeship has been a great help to me. It has given me the confidence to ask questions and provided me detailed knowledge of my trade and the industry which I’ve been able to take across to my work with Nilsen.

Mark Joyce, Leading Hand Electrician, Nilsen (WA) said:

“Jake has a fantastic attitude around the workplace, his work ethic, commitment and maturity for someone his age means this is well-deserved. He has a willingness to learn and most importantly he knows his abilities and limitations, this is very important for an apprentice as it promotes skill and safety.

“NECA has played a pivotal role, providing him with great support and teaching the wisdom and tactical thinking skills which aren’t always gone into detail on site. He’s always come back excited and wanting to share what he’s learnt.”

Peter Sheridan, AHT Group (SA), winner of the NECA Communications Apprentice category said:

“For anyone thinking about or going through an apprenticeship I’d suggest two pieces of advice; listen and get used to communicating, especially with clients. If you can master the ability to understand client needs and translate into solutions, you’ll be very effective.”

“It is very rewarding to work with clients to get to the bottom of their problems to develop bespoke solutions. As part of my apprenticeship AHT Group has given me every opportunity to express my ideas and push myself to accelerate my development, this has meant I’ve been able to work on some really great and interesting projects.

Andrew Russell, Customer & Service Manager – Executive Director, AHT Group (SA) said:

“I could not have been happier with the original decision I made to take on Peter as an apprentice. He is far more advanced than one would expect for someone who has just completed their apprenticeship. He is deserving for this award due to his design and development of outstanding integrated building management systems, ability to work with clients and advise other trades on best practices during installation.”

About the NECA National Apprentice of the Year Award 

The awards present a valuable opportunity for apprentices to stand out from the crowd and be acknowledged for their capabilities and hard work across three award categories: Commercial/ Domestic, Communications and Industrial. Many past winners have gone on to have successful careers in the industry, as leaders, technical specialists and business owners.

With much of an apprentice’s learning taking place on the job, the awards also recognise employers and supervisors. The time, effort and resources they dedicate to providing a safe and positive work environment has a significant impact and is greatly valued.

                     Jake Sardelic                                             Peter Sheridan