Shawn Buie’s story is a model in resilience. Breaking through numerous barriers and paving the way for others with a disability is only a fraction of his contribution to the automotive industry.
There aren’t many people in the industry like Shawn Buie. Not only does he raise awareness for the deaf community in the industry, but he has a strong will and desire to push through any obstacles that are in his way.
Overcoming the challenges of deafness has led Shawn towards a career he loves. He has impressive plans for his future and is constantly developing ways to best navigate his disability in the automotive repair industry.
Shawn is employed as a full-time panel technician, and is currently working with Drive Group in Kingston, Brisbane. Shawn also has a side passion project, his own business – Buie’s Garage.
Shawn began his passion for restoring and repairing old cars on the Central Coast in New South Wales ten years ago. He moved up to Brisbane, Queensland, five years ago to explore new opportunities and pursue his career.
A brother’s influence
Most teenagers are unsure of which direction they want to take after leaving school. Luckily for Shawn, his older brother was a guiding figure that nudged him in the right direction. After listening to his brother, who was studying to be a mechanic, Shawn decided to enrol in a tertiary course.
“My brother encouraged me to give a pre-vocational course in panel and paint a go,” Shawn says.
“Once I started, I immediately enjoyed panel beating. It all just went from there.”
Shawn’s passion for panel beating started in his pre-vocational courses, and his love of repairing vehicles, especially old cars, has kept him in the industry, despite a few challenges along the way.
Challenges in the industry
Shawn has successfully integrated his deafness into a career in the automotive industry. The industry is becoming increasingly aware of the issues of access and acceptance, as the profile of the industry is changing to expand and grow into a diverse sector of the workforce.
After Shawn’s experiences in the industry over the past decade, he wants to be an advocate for deaf awareness in the industry.
“My main issue that I face in the workplace is the lack of deaf awareness, and the lack of planning surrounding a hearing impairment,” Shawn says.
“For example, at times, no interpreters have been organised for meetings, or people haven’t given me notice so I could organise one.”
Having a disability has not barred Shawn from doing his job, but the day-to-day communication with team members has sometimes been an issue.
“Another issue was that some staff find the extra effort to communicate with me frustrating and that caused some tensions,” Shawn says.
Advocating for himself and sharing his experiences with his workplace has been a strategy that has worked in Shawn’s favour.
“I have overcome most of the barriers by communicating my needs and feelings. I have been met with some very patient and understanding people and they have made the workplace so much more enjoyable,” Shawn says.
“That is also another reason why I have set up my own business. I want to have other deaf employees and make them feel comfortable at a workplace without communication barriers.”
Re-training and growing
Shawn also faced multiple setbacks at the beginning of his career. Shawn underwent additional training after realising he still had more to learn before becoming a full qualified panel technician.
“I thought and felt as though I was supported and doing well throughout my training and apprentice years,” Shawn says.
“However, when I moved to Queensland as a newly completed fourth year apprentice, I very quickly discovered that my skill and training was not up to the normal standard.”
“Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I was in fact not trained properly. Thankfully a company took me under their wing and retrained me as a 3rd year apprentice. I am very confident and am fully qualified now.”
It is Shawn’s constant and consistent passion for the industry that has created his resilient nature.
“I love what I do, and my deafness does not stop that,” Shawn says.
“A few issues in my work experience placed a few barriers in my path, but my job was to resolve them, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Highlights of Shawn’s career
Shawn outlined how the journey to becoming a fully qualified panel technician has been a highlight of his career. Back in 2019, Shawn was interviewed by NCR, and he spoke about his dream to one day set up and own his own business. Now, five years later in 2024, his dreams are finally coming to fruition.
Shawn’s ultimate goal is to grow his business to a point where he owns a repair shop and can be his own boss.
“Becoming fully qualified was a great moment. Also making the first step in setting up my own business has been a proud achievement,” Shawn says.
“The whole process of setting up a business is exciting and it’s finally happening. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Advice for navigating the industry
For anyone wanting to join the industry, but especially those who face adversity, Shawn encourages them to give collision repair a second thought.
“One of the key things I learnt is, to be efficient with your time,” he says. “Ensure you check that all parts are ordered and delivered prior to starting the job. Second thing would be buying tools as you go, it is crucial.”
“You can achieve anything you put your mind to if you have a true passion for the career.”