Q&A with Tom Schneider, Groundskeeper and Ben Schneider, Mechanic – Lockhart Shire Council.
Sitting in the heart of the Riverina Region in NSW, 62km South West of Wagga Wagga, you’ll discover the beautiful Lockhart Shire. With a rich pioneering heritage, Lockhart covers nearly 3,000 square kilometres, and is home to just over 3,000 people.
Twin brothers Tom and Ben Schneider are proud locals and thanks to the apprenticeships they undertook with Lockhart Shire Council, they’ve been able to make a life in the region they love.
Careers at Council recently caught up with the Tom and Ben to chat about each of their roles at the Council, their apprenticeships, and why they think local government is a great option for school-leavers.
Q. Are you able to tell us about your background and what led you to your current roles?
Ben: I did some work experience in the workshop here when I was about 14, and when I left school at 16, I started a light vehicle apprenticeship over in Wagga which I did for a year. And then a council job came up back here in Lockhart where I could do the rest of my apprenticeship. After I completed that apprenticeship, the council kept me on and put me through another trade – heavy diesel mechanic.
Tom: I also left school at 16, and I worked the grain harvest straight out of school. After harvest time, I started my apprenticeship with Lockhart – a Certificate III in Horticulture. It took me three years and when I finished it, they put me on full-time. Now I’m back at TAFE doing Landscaping which was just something extra I wanted to do, which council is happy to support me in while I work.
Q. What would a typical day look like for you both?
Ben: Generally, I’ll have a few things booked in for repairs at the depot here in Lockhart – like chainsaws, cars, and other smaller machinery. But then, I’ll get a call out and I have to drive out to fix a bob cat or grader or something that the construction crew are using.
I’ve got a work ute set up full of tools, so it’s all ready for me to drive out and fix whatever needs fixing. I might have to drive an hour one way and then another hour in another direction. It’s a really big area that we cover which can be a challenge.
You’ve got to really love it, it’s not always easy – but I’ve always loved fixing stuff, so for me it’s great!
Tom: Most days are different for me, but I can almost break it up into two halves of the year. So, in winter we’re doing a lot of tree work maintenance. I also have three pools that I maintain and manage, even though they’re not open to the public they still have to be kept running over those months.
In summer it’s really busy. We could be doing gardens, landscaping, mower work, tractor work and irrigation as well – there’s a lot to learn. We can be doing 10-15 different things in a day which I really enjoy.
Q. What do you find the most rewarding about your role?
Tom: On the days when I’m doing the trees, or landscape jobs or mowing the lawns and I go home and everything looks great, then I’m pretty happy with myself. When we get a new apprentice, I say it’s not necessarily the boss you have to worry about, it’s the community – that’s who we’re doing it for. And, because we’re local we’ve got family who all benefit from the work we do.
Dad is the first to tell us if we haven’t done something right!
Ben: I really enjoy going home knowing that I’ve been able to fix something that was difficult to fix. It might’ve been hard to find what the problem was but when you fix it, that feels really good.
I also know it’s not just about the one thing I’m fixing, you’ve got a whole team that are relying on you to get it back up and running again so they can keep on working on that job.
Q. Would you recommend a local government apprenticeship to others who are just starting out after leaving school?
Tom: Definitely, you can come here with nothing. A lot of the guys I work with, started as casuals and now they’re doing apprenticeships. They look after you here at council, we have mates who have done apprenticeships in the private sector and we know we get treated better here.
Ben: The biggest thing when it comes to doing the apprenticeships is that you’ve got to want to learn. If you show you’re willing to learn then they’ll really support you and give you additional training – like First Aid, and I was put through a forklift licence and also a truck licence course. They look after you like that. If you’re good to them and do a good job, council will reward you for it.
Why not kick start your career at council – click here to explore the opportunities available right now.
