For Fortune Sibanda, becoming a diesel mechanic is as much about learning how to approach a problem as it is learning how to fix one.
Fortune is a second-year apprentice with CEA, where he spends his days working alongside experienced technicians, building his skills and getting hands-on with a wide range of jobs.
And that variety is one of the things he likes most.
“One day is never usually the same as the day afterwards,” Fortune says.
Some days might involve repairs, others could involve a build, and sometimes it’s something completely new.
“There are so many different things to do, so many things to learn,” he says.
For an apprentice, that exposure matters. The more Fortune gets to see and do now, the more confident and capable he’ll be once he’s qualified.
Learning on the Job
Fortune’s day usually starts around 7am.
After getting the workshop ready, he’ll receive a job card from his supervisor and work through it with support from a senior technician.
That could mean diagnosing a problem, completing a repair, helping with a machinery build or working through a task he hasn’t come across before.
That’s a pretty normal part of learning a trade. You’re building your knowledge as you go, and some of the most useful lessons come from getting stuck into a real job and working it out with someone more experienced beside you.
For Fortune, having that support has been a big part of his experience at CEA.
“What was magnetic to me was the work culture,” he says.
“If you’re not understanding something, or if you need some help with parts, whatever it could be, they really put that support there.”
For someone still learning the trade, knowing you can ask questions and get help makes a big difference.
You’re not meant to know everything straight away.
So, What Does a Diesel Mechanic Do?
If you haven’t spent much time around heavy machinery, diesel mechanics probably aren’t a career you hear about every day.
But they play a big role in keeping equipment running.
Diesel mechanics inspect, maintain, diagnose and repair machinery powered by diesel engines. Depending on where you work, that could include construction equipment, agricultural machinery and other heavy vehicles and machines.
It’s practical work, but there’s plenty of problem-solving involved too.
A machine might not always tell you exactly what’s wrong. You need to inspect it, understand how the different systems work together and figure out what needs fixing.
And as machinery becomes more advanced, there’s more to the job than just engines and spanners. Modern equipment can include electronics, hydraulics, diagnostics and increasingly sophisticated technology.
For someone who likes figuring out how things work, it can make for a pretty interesting career.
Why an Apprenticeship?
One of the big advantages of an apprenticeship is that you don’t have to choose between studying and getting real experience.
You do both.
Apprentices learn their trade while working in the industry, developing practical skills on the job while also completing the training needed to become qualified.
That means you’re not waiting until the end of your studies to find out what the job is like. You’re already in the workshop, working with experienced people and seeing how things are done.
For Fortune, that hands-on experience is a huge part of what makes the apprenticeship valuable.
“It’s very beneficial for growth when you’re starting out, to be exposed to as much as you can,” he says.
The more jobs he works on now, the more knowledge he can carry with him later.
As Fortune puts it, he doesn’t want to reach the end of his apprenticeship wondering whether he missed something important.
“You’re not left wondering, ‘Oh, I didn’t learn this, I didn’t learn that.’”
More Than Just Learning a Trade
One thing Fortune didn’t expect was how much the apprenticeship would influence him outside work.
Over time, he started noticing that the habits he was building in the workshop were showing up elsewhere too.
“I noticed myself doing things that I do at work, but I copied and pasted them into my repertoire,” he says.
The way he approaches problems, the way he works through tasks and even the way he carries himself have all changed since starting his apprenticeship.
“When I started, being a first-year apprentice, I didn’t do things a certain way. Now that I’ve learned how to do things a certain way, I’ve carried that outside work.”
There are the obvious skills you expect to pick up in a trade, like working with tools, understanding machinery and learning how to complete a job properly.
But there are other skills that come with it too.
Patience. Responsibility. Paying attention to the small details. Knowing when to keep trying and when to ask someone for help.
For Fortune, those lessons haven’t stayed in the workshop.
He says the experience has helped him become “a better person, brother” and, in his words, “a better human being”.
That wasn’t necessarily something he expected when he first started.
Take Your Time
Fortune’s advice for anyone starting an apprenticeship is simple.
Don’t rush it.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
It can be easy to compare yourself to people who have been in the trade for years and feel like you should already know more than you do.
But nobody starts out as the expert.
Rather than worrying about mastering everything at once, Fortune says it’s more important to get the basics right first.
“Grasp the fundamentals. All the rudimentary stuff, get it in and have it down pat first… You can’t build a skyscraper without knowing what a house is.”
And if you’re stuck, ask for help.
“If you feel like you need help, do not be afraid to shout out for help. There’s lots of assistance out there ready to help you.”
It’s advice that applies well beyond apprenticeships, really.
Learn the basics. Give yourself time. Ask questions. Keep going.
For Fortune, that’s what learning the trade has looked like so far. Taking each job as it comes, working alongside people who know their stuff and getting a little better every day.
Interested in a Career with CEA?
If you’re interested in hands-on work, heavy machinery and learning a trade while you work, an apprenticeship with CEA could be worth exploring.
Learn more about careers, apprenticeships and opportunities with CEA here.
