From farm kid to fault-finding champion

"To be perfectly honest, I didn’t even know being an auto electrician was a job," said Reece.

Now, at 21, Reece has not only completed a Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology (AUR30320) with TAFE Queensland but has racked up a string of industry awards.

Growing up on a dairy farm, Reece wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty—or his circuits crossed. His childhood was spent pulling apart TVs, dismantling computers, and fixing anything with a wire.

But a career in auto electrical? That wasn’t on his radar until an alternative pathways program in high school dropped him into work placement.

"It was just by luck that this one came up, and I knew it was for me after just one week,” he said.

That one week turned into an apprenticeship, a trade qualification, and a career that keeps his brain firing on all cylinders.

However, balancing work with study at TAFE Queensland’s Ashmore campus on the Gold Coast wasn’t always easy—especially when it meant a 1.5-hour commute each week from the far north coast of New South Wales. But for Reece, the journey was worth it.

"The campus facilities are top quality, there’s a wide variety of vehicles, and fantastic diagnostic tools," he said.

"And I had some great teachers, especially with the support leading up to the 2023 WorldSkills Nationals."

WorldSkills is the Olympics for tradies, and Reece was in it to win it. Having competed at both the 2023 regional and national levels before, he went into the 2024 competition with a clear goal - to score above 95 out of 100.

Mission accomplished.

"I smashed that, so I was extremely happy," said Reece.

His efforts also earned him the 2024 TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Automotive Apprentice of the Year, an award he had won as a first-year but missed out on in his second and third.

"That one meant a lot because I made sure to put in my best effort and worked hard to earn it," he said.

But it was the 2024 TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Apprentice Excellence Award that caught him completely off guard.

"It was an incredible feeling. Professionally, it gives me big expectations to live up to, which I enjoy because it pushes me to walk the walk."

With cars becoming more advanced, Reece knows the industry is changing fast.

"The automotive industry is going to be very different in five to ten years. With advances in modern vehicles, there’s already a gap in competent diagnostic technicians, and I think that gap will only get larger," he said.

"I just want to take on board all I can to remain a good, reliable technician in the future."

His advice to others considering an automotive trade?

"Anything is worth having a go. I didn’t know a single thing about this industry, but I had an interest in the type of work and look where it’s taken me. I’m so glad I gave this job a chance because it’s given me amazing skills and even better opportunities," said Reece.