Grant took up the challenge and won
Article published in Waikato Business News, July 15 - August 15 2009, by Mike Blake
Imagine waking up one morning and deciding you are going to change your life forever. This is exactly what happened in the case of Grant Gaskell.
Grant has worked for Industrial Tube Manufacturing Company Limited over the past 16 years.
“About three years ago I woke up one morning and thought, I want something for myself...I want more of a challenge,” he said. “So I went to the bosses and discussed an engineering apprenticeship with them.
“They took me on and set up the process” said a grateful 40-year-old Grant.
Industrial Tube engineering manager, Ian Griffin was most complimentary about the way Grant has conducted himself during his 16 years with the company.
“He started off as a slitting line operator and when needed we would get him to help out generally, fabricating and greasing things etc,” said Ian. “He showed an aptitude for engineering right from the start.
“He always appeared keen to improve his skills,” said Ian. “He’s the sort of guy that sees a job and makes things happen.”
Grant began his apprenticeship through Industry Training Organisation, Competenz and Skills4Work.
This included a lot of correspondence right through the three years and Grant reckons it was a big call for a bloke who had left secondary school in the third form.
Ian said he was impressed with Grant’s discipline when it came to the correspondence and felt he would do well.
Ian’s confidence was to be proved right as Grant sailed through with sound advice from the likes of John Crombie, Competenz and Murray Prowse, Skills4Work.
Grant says he now wakes up in the morning wanting to come to work.
“I am happy to have improved my skills set and the crowd in the company is a good one as is the management team,” he said.
Grant is married to Melanie and has a son Damian who is in 7th form and Fraser High School.
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