Red Bull Racing star and four-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup will take the apprentices under his wing nationally as Komatsu?s official apprentice mentor.
?I?m so happy to be able to give these young Komatsu apprentices a leg-up at the beginning of their new careers,? Whincup said. ?By mentoring them throughout this first stage we are assisting them to develop the skills they need to go on to be the best in their fields.?
Komatsu?s national apprentice development manager Gavin Manning said he couldn?t be happier with the early results of Whincup?s mentorship.
?Our apprentices here really look up to Jamie, so it?s fantastic for him to devote his time to support them in their careers,? Manning said. ?We want our apprentices to develop as a whole person and the apprentice mentor program will be an important part of this process.
?We teach our apprentices technical skills, life skills and business skills because we expect them to take up senior positions in Komatsu within six years of finishing their apprenticeships.?
First-year heavy diesel fitter apprentice Katherine Blair said Whincup spoke with her group about continuing support throughout their careers.
?He never talked down to us,? she said. ?It always felt like he was interested in our careers, and I think the fact that he was so approachable made it much easier to learn from his experience.?
Source: Komatsu Australia