A small country town and hours of commuting time are no barrier to one of the automotive industry’s best and brightest future stars.
Small communities in rural towns are often faced with unique challenges. The town of Badgingarra in Western Australia is no exception.
With a population of 173 people and being 200 kilometres north of Perth, Badgingarra has been put on the automotive map by supporting Capricorn’s latest recipient of the Rising Stars Award, second year apprentice, Megan Toia.
The Capricorn Rising Stars Award recognises and rewards outstanding apprentices in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Travelling 60km from her hometown of Moora to her work at Badgingarra (Badgy) Motors, Megan is nothing short of dedicated.
Megan also regularly makes the 200km trip to South Perth for her TAFE studies in three-month blocks throughout the year. Megan starts her 2.5-hour drive to TAFE the night before classes begin and is then up at 5:30am to beat the traffic.
Driven by passion
Megan’s life is centred around her love of the automotive industry.
Capricorn noted Megan’s passion for the industry, her love of learning and her constant pursuit of excellence. These qualities impressed the multiple rounds of judging from among 300 nominations.
Megan’s boss, Harry Burgess nominated her for the award last year, but time restraints meant she was unable to complete the application in time.
“This year I had some time off when the original entry was due, and my boss was encouraging me to complete the questions and submit my responses,” Megan says.
“I’m so glad I took the time this year to follow through with the questions.”
Megan has always had a passion for cars and practical learning, so working in the automotive industry was a perfect fit.
“As I have always loved cars and learning about how they worked, while also loving problem solving and getting my hands dirty, this apprenticeship has proven to be perfect for me.”
Capricorn Group CEO Designate Brad Gannon says he was inspired by many of the nominees and particularly Megan’s dedication.
“It’s an amazing story,” he says.
“The passion and dedication that Megan’s got for not only the industry, but for her job itself, and the personal commitment that she makes each and every day with travel. I think that’s what the industry is all about.
“The industry is about passion, passion for people, passion for cars and Megan’s an absolute worthy winner, because she shows both passion for the team she works for, passion for her customers, passion for that problem solving.
“That’s the automotive industry in a nutshell.”
But Brad also wanted to highlight the outstanding talent of the finalists and the calibre of more than 300 Capricorn Members who nominated their talented apprentices from all over Australia and New Zealand, showing the breadth of talent across the industry.
“Megan was a worthy winner, but there were so many worthy nominees and that’s really exciting for the industry, because this passion is an amazing thing, and these people are passionate about what they do each and every day.
“If you’re passionate about what you do every day, you’re really not working a day in your life. To find a job and an industry where you can have that genuine passion, is truly special.
“When you see these nominees, lots of them have had challenges in getting to their career, that’s not uncommon, but to be able to overcome those challenges is a hallmark of many of them and it’s inspiring.”
Mentor praise
Megan’s boss at Badgingarra Motors, Harry Burgess, was also glowing in his praise for her motivation and enthusiasm.
“Megan is a great asset to my business,” Burgess says.
He highlighted her detail orientated approach and positive attitude in being an asset to the business.
“She applies pressure to herself to complete her tasks to the highest standards and she is very thorough. She is a fast learner who follows instructions, can work independently and takes constructive advice well.”
Megan was quick to thank her boss for showing her the ropes as she continues to study at TAFE.
“Harry has been very patient, he has walked me though all of the mistakes that I have made and has been incredibly supportive throughout my exciting automotive apprenticeship journey,” Megan says.
Megan’s partner has also been an integral part of her journey.
“He has been there for me on days where I question whether I keep going. He’s been there financially and emotionally, and I cannot thank him enough,” Megan says.
Brad Gannon stressed that the workplace was a powerful contributor to the success of young people.
“We could see from both the nomination and the comments made in the nominations, that support came through so clearly from Megan’s boss, Harry,” Brad says.
“This is key for all industries and all organisations, but particularly when you’re starting out; to have that support around you, that imparting of knowledge, that comfort to learn new things. No doubt when you’re learning new things, there’ll be challenges along the way, but having that support network around you makes such a difference.”
Females in the industry
Throughout Megan’s journey in the industry, she has encountered few females in her courses, and at her workplaces. Despite this, Megan has made a community for herself in the industry that is based on mutual respect and merit.
“There were two other girls who started in my TAFE class, but they both ended up dropping out for different reasons after a few months,” Megan says. “I’m lucky to have met two great guys who have turned into good mates at TAFE,” .
At her workplace, Megan highlighted how her gender has no influence over how she is treated.
“At work there has never been an issue with being the only female apprentice. There is a female receptionist who is lovely, and Harry’s partner Sharon has also been a great support,” Megan says.
“My gender has never been an issue; they will make fun of me no matter what.”
Behind every worker
In another sign of her support, Megan’s family have been behind her every step of the way. She praised her parents for their continued encouragement.
“My mum was always my biggest inspiration for being a strong woman. She was in the army in the 80’s and 90’s, and she constantly had to prove herself,” Megan says.
Megan has found herself in a similar experience to her mother’s, having to double down on her work and prove she is worthy of being in the industry.
“I have had people at TAFE and customers look down on me because I am female. But because I have such a great boss and coworker I feel really supported. Whenever someone tries to talk down to me, I know they always have my back,” Megan says.
“I have such a strong support system around me.”
Brad Gannon says Megan’s story not only shows the importance of support but the critical role that families play in helping young people choose and sustain an automotive career.
“The reality is the automotive industry is one of the best kept secrets for people looking for a new career, and so we do need to step up and start promoting it, particularly to families. Let the mums and dads out there know that it is exciting and innovative, because they do have a significant influence on where the next generation look for their career.
“The message as an industry we want to get out is there are more and more diverse new skill sets required all the time. And I think Megan puts it best when she says, it’s a great industry to be in.
“We absolutely need to get that message out there and influence, parents, teachers and career counsellors that this industry is going places.”
Going places
For people thinking about entering the industry, Megan encourages them to have patience and belief that the pathway will lead to endless opportunities.
“It can be daunting going into a trade, especially if you don’t have the support network. The pay and the motivation to get started can be difficult,” Megan says.
Despite the initial barriers, Megan highlighted that, “It gets better, it gets way better.”
“As soon as you are qualified, the world is your oyster. There is so much you can do with your qualifications.”
Brad highlights Capricorn’s continued commitment to the Rising Star Awards was not only to celebrate role models like Megan and her supportive workplace but to show the wider automotive industry at its best.
“That’s part of the reason why Capricorn runs the Rising Stars, because we want to give that opportunity for people to recognize great apprentices,” Brad says. “And not only apprentices, but we also know that celebrating staff at any level, is great for staff, team engagement and morale.
“We want to celebrate the heroes and heroines we have in our industry that every day are doing an amazing job and fundamentally keeping people safe and that is what they do by having a properly serviced, repaired and maintained vehicle.
“I think the other aspect of this role-modelling is it really allows people to thrive. This is an industry that inspires massive passion. It really changes people’s lives. That sense of purpose in what you do every day is really a hallmark of this industry.
“There’s many jobs out there, but not so many jobs that really give you that sense of purpose and belief and skills that means that you’ve got your own trade, and ultimately can own and operate your own business off the back of that trade.”
“They are things that are truly unique, something that we should be proud of, and something that as industry, we should continue to celebrate.”
The road ahead
For Megan her automotive journey is just beginning and if her skills offer her this flexibility, she is also a person already with plans to give back to the industry.
Megan aims to become fully qualified at Badgingarra Motors and after a couple of years she plans to gain a heavy diesel trade qualification, a qualification that will allow her to work in the mining industry.
But Megan’s ultimate ambition is to open her own automotive service and repair business. Her goal is to employ people that typically aren’t well represented in the industry, creating a safe space for them to thrive, as she has found at Badgingarra Motors.
The Capricorn Rising Stars Award is made possible thanks to its sponsors, Castrol, Repco and The Workshop Whisperer.