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Hutcheon & Pearce celebrate their newest graduates of the High Performance Academy.
Hutcheon and Pearce are proud to run a very successful apprenticeship program within the company – the High Performance Academy- which year in and out equips skilled and determined individuals with the knowledge and experience to succeed in the industry. Our apprenticeship program is ever growing and on the 16th of January we celebrated the graduation of 29 young men and women who completed their apprenticeship in 2024 with a nationally recognised trade qualification.
The HPA operates as a training model that teaches recruits both Hutcheon & Pearce and John Deere-specific training all whilst learning on the job.
Our Apprenticeship Coordinator, Sophie McManus, speaks on our program, “The High-Performance Academy is something I have never seen before and yet am very excited to be a part of. The program is very individual and tailored to Hutcheon and Pearce with exclusive TAFE classes alongside the training we have with John Deere University”.
To have 29 graduates in 2024 is a huge achievement which Hutcheon and Pearce are incredibly proud of.
“The efforts of the entire group are impressive. Committing to a 3 or 4-year apprenticeship is no small feat and can be at times overwhelming without the correct support or direction. We are in an industry that always has so many progressive changes especially with autonomy and technology. From a training perspective this means we need to provide as many opportunities as possible for our Apprentices to be familiar with a wide variety of products and have a broad skill set to then know how to repair and service those products. So, it’s definitely a huge achievement!”, Sophie added.
Sophie has been an incredible support to all our apprentices throughout their journey, offering guidance in all aspects of their experience and ensuring that everyone gets the most out of their apprenticeship. We are very fortunate to be able to offer this level of guidance to our apprentices and it is fundamental to the success of the program.
“My role is mainly managing all the chaos! With so many moving parts, especially with the number of apprentices we have at Hutcheon and Pearce, I coordinate training requirements, handle logistics, and offer mentoring. Building trust and reassurance is key, all I ask for in return is a little patience!”
Of the 29 graduates of 2024, we were thrilled to have our first female apprentice complete the trade qualification, Anna McGuirk. This is an achievement that we are inspired by as we continue to pave the way for females to enter and succeed in the industry.
Our group of graduates come from all over NSW with some excitedly staying on at Hutcheon and Pearce, some returning to family farms with new skills and some seeking new opportunities with their qualification.
We asked some of our graduates from across our branches to reflect on their HPA Apprenticeship and here’s what they had to say:
Anna McGuirk: Albury
What was one of your favourite experiences/memories/jobs from your apprenticeship?
Part of the way through my apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to work out of a company Ute and one of the best experiences was being able to teach the newer generation of apprentices
What was your most valuable takeaway from your apprenticeship?
The extensive knowledge that was shared throughout the branches not only about mechanical experience, but trade work as well will greatly help me in my future
What’s a piece of advice you would offer our new apprentices?
You won’t have all the answers, and the technicians prefer if you ask too many questions than not enough.
What are your plans for 2025 onwards?
My main goal is to further my education by attending courses and to gain more experience throughout the range of machinery.
Jake Mawhood: Wagga Wagga
What was one of your favourite experiences/memories/jobs from your apprenticeship?
Favourite experience would have to be when I was given the opportunity and trusted to rebuild a transmission myself
What was your most valuable takeaway from your apprenticeship?
Meeting and making connections with customers and having the satisfaction of getting them up and running again
What’s a piece of advice you would offer our new apprentices?
I’d say to the new apprentices, any opportunity that comes in front of them, grab it with both hands and give it the best you can
What are your plans for 2025 onwards?
Plan to stay on with H&P. Continuing to grow as a technician to become the best technician I possibly can
Cameron Rust:
What was one of your favourite experiences/memories/jobs from your apprenticeship?
Going away for work to repair headers with other technicians
What was your most valuable takeaway from your apprenticeship?
Learning problem solving skills
What’s a piece of advice you would offer our new apprentices?
Stay off the snap on truck
What are your plans for 2025 onwards?
To continue developing my skills as a technician mainly around headers
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