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“I consider myself a glowing example of what TAFE can contribute to a life, a career and an industry.”
As an apprentice James Grundy’s teacher offered him some blunt career advice “if you can’t smell it, see it, feel it or hear it, then get out.”
“I still tell apprentices that story,” James said. “Many people do things they are not good at or have no passion for and they don’t excel.”
Excelling is something James is qualified to talk about. As the face of lifelong learning at Box Hill Institute, his commitment to continuous improvement has resulted in him being named as a finalist in 2002’s Victorian Training Awards.
James started his apprenticeship in Fitting and Machining in 1981. During his apprenticeship he began a Production Technician Certificate. More subjects followed culminating in two Advanced Certificates in Manufacturing Engineering, an Associated Diploma of Engineering (Manufacturing) Production and an Advanced Diploma in Engineering Management.
James works at ARB Engineering and said he loves the challenge of “engineering things to a better standard and solving problems.” He said studying was important for his career development. “There is a lot of technology coming out,” he said. “You cannot keep pace with what is going on unless you have something behind you.”
James is considering doing a degree or an MBA and eventually aiming for a senior management position. “Without the learning opportunities which have been presented to me in the TAFE system I would not have been able to advance my career,” he said. “I consider myself a glowing example of what TAFE can contribute to a life, a career and an industry.”
18 March 2003
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