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Home > Beyond Bricklaying > Success Stories In Detail More on Nick Bianco...The story so farNick is a real success story, running his company Bianco Construction Supplies. The company supplies hardware, machinery, safety products, reinforcing and structural steel to the construction industry as well as providing a portable building hire service for the mining and construction industries and government utilities throughout Australia. Nick now owns the Adelaide United Soccer Club and is a major sponsor of Port Power. He has several honours including an AM and is well known in Adelaide and interstate. Nick Bianco was a national finalist in the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year awards. The following quotation in the Westpac Banking publication “101 Tips for Business Success” personifies Nick Bianco. “Treat staff as family and it will be reciprocated. Support local organisations and charities. A business that only makes a profit isn’t a profitable business.” Nick Bianco has achieved all this after starting out as a bricklaying apprentice. The ABBTF believes his success shows that bricklaying is a career path that young people, with the right attitude and determination can pursue, to go to the very top just like Nick Bianco. We salute Nick Bianco on his achievements. You can visit Bianco Construction Supplies at www.bianco.com.au More on Nigel CrokeA Gold Medal Winner in More Ways than One
We have heard a lot about gold medals lately but Nigel Croke, winner of the recent WorldSkills bricklaying competition is used to winning gold medals. He has also won gold as a member of the NSW Indoor Hockey Team at the National title. Playing as a full back for the team, Nigel also won eight silver medals, so he is a real winner. However Nigel says the experience of winning gold at WorldSkills was a moment he will never forget. “Just knowing you are the best going around was an awesome feeling”. According to Nigel knowing you were competing against the best bricklayers from around Australia really put the pressure on right from the start. “The hardest part of the competition was ensuring the way you had marked up and cut on the ground was going to work out when you lay it up. If you’re a millimetre out it just doesn’t fit,” said Nigel. His employer, during his four year training at Bathurst TAFE, was Bill Fearl. Nigel frequently travelled over an hour and half to Crookwell to work. He qualified for WorldSkills through preliminary competition in the Macquarie region and paid tribute to his employer and his TAFE trainer Peter Moore. And what of the future? “Having completed my training I have now moved to Sydney and set up as a subbie and I have already found work. My aim is to establish my own bricklaying team and then achieve more credentials by going on to attain my Building IV Certificate so that I can provide greater services on site,” Nigel explained. Nigel praised the support of the ABBTF who provided travelling and accommodation expenses for all bricklaying competitors at WorldSkills. “It’s great to have industry support because it promotes the development of young people and enhances their skills. “The ABBTF bricklaying apprenticeship subsidy also enables employers to take on apprentices creating job opportunities and ensuring qualified tradesmen are available for the future”. Congratulations on your gold medal Nigel! For further information on the WorldSkills competition, go to www.worldskills.org.au. More on Mike Butler...The story so farAfter completing his bricklaying apprenticeship Mike and a mate from TAFE started their own business which they ran successfully. Thinking of the bigger picture, Mike was interested in seeing what else related to bricklaying and moved onto AV Jennings as an estimator and ended up in charge of product development of new houses. While at Jennings he completed a part-time marketing degree becoming the Direct Marketing Manager then progressed to become the National Marketing Manager. Moving to Australand in 1999, Mike was appointed Manager of Australand, a leading national building company. At TAFE Mike won the Bronze medallion, which is recognition of his trade and he was also awarded apprentice of the year. You can visit the Australand website at www.australand.com.au. |
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INSIGHTS INTO BRICKLAYING
APPRENTICESHIPS The bricklaying industry is an integral part of the commercial and residential construction industry, with approximately 26,000 bricklayers and blocklayers across Australia. More...  This National Research Project is now complete and the final report on the findings is available, click here to download your copy. VIC David Switches From Uni to Bricklaying – Now He Is a Builder! David Valastro studied a double degree on health promotion and nursing when he was Deakin University, but after two years he decided he didn’t like it. He then started a pizza business, but still felt he hadn’t found his ideal career. More... QLD ABBTF Brickstart Bonus - Employer Benefits Total $12,000 Bricklayers and blocklayers can benefit from the new BrickstartBonus from ABBTF for putting on a new bricklaying apprentice. The bonus is $2,000 payable on completion of the first year and applies for new apprentices who start before 30 June 2010. More... NSW Masonry Contractors Award Winners The Masonry Contractors Association (MCA) held their 12th Annual awards for Brick and Blocklaying Excellence at Le Montage Function Centre in Sydney in November. More... WA Brick Companies Support Bricklayer Training Producing high quality bricks is the aim of Western Australian brick manufacturers. But they also ecognise the urgent need for trades people, with the training and skills, to lay the bricks so that the benefits of the product are fully realised in construction projects. More... SA Apprentice Numbers up by 60% Since early 2007, when ABBTF commenced the program to address skill shortages in bricklaying, apprentice numbers have increased by 104 or 60%. More... ACT Bricklayer and His Apprentice Join Forces ACT bricklayer Michael McPherson completed his training at Wagga Wagga in 1983. He started his business two years later, moving to Canberra in 1992 and has always been self employed. Michael’s apprentice, Ashley Harris was awarded the Bricklaying Apprentice of The Year for 2008 and Michael reckons he felt like a proud parent. More... Tas Darrel Lillico – 40 Years of Bricklaying and Helping Apprentices Launceston bricklayer Darrel Lillico was 16 years of age when hestarted as an apprentice. “After completing my apprenticeship, I went out on my own, and have been working for myself ever since, 40 years of bricklaying!” said Darrel. More... |
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