Sometimes a career in collision repair is the last thing on a young student’s mind, but the right people sowing the seeds and encouraging apprentices like Lily Welsh on the way, can make a world of difference.
Before she embarked on her apprenticeship, Lily Welsh found herself working in the somewhat distant world of agricultural business, packing pineapples in a big shed. It was then the opportunity to indulge her artistic drive opened.
“I literally had no idea what spray painting was all about,” she says. “I thought that you just swing a gun down basically. I had no idea about all the prep work and colour matching.
“But I did see some videos on YouTube and I thought that looked pretty cool. Then my brother-in law Jordan, who is a panel beater, asked me a couple times if I wanted to have a go in a shop. The first time I turned him down, but then the second time he asked me, I went ahead and did a trial day.”
Overcoming nerves
She recalls being extremely nervous as she took the step into the workshop but the head spray painter, Leah took her in hand and guided her, even if most of what she did on that first day was prep work.
“I didn’t actually get my hands on a gun,” Lily says. “It was probably still months down track before I got my hands on one, but I did get to watch Leah painting and I got something of an idea of what it was like. It really intrigued me watching her paint.”
From this first taste, Lily then launched into the commitment of an apprenticeship at Advanced Auto Accident Repair Centre. She says key to this was having Leah encouragement along each step of the way.
“Leah’s been so encouraging,” she says. “She’s my trades person, but she’s also been like a coach and sort of a ‘work mum’.
“I was really, really nervous when I first picked up the gun but now it’s just like second nature.
“It’s really exciting to have my own booth and then pick up the gun and do what I do.”
Continuous learning
Lily recognises the journey is a continual, sometimes steep learning curve but is thrilled that the apprenticeship has given her the opportunity to develop practical skills and a career in an area of her talents she had always enjoyed.
“In school, I was in art and painted and did all that jazz, but in my own time at home, I did some colouring and drawing and other things. I’ve always had a little bit of a creative bone in me.”
This has led, she says, to a growing strength in the complex area of colour matching. But she recognises it is an ever-evolving part of the trade.
“There’s quite a few colours that I’m still not 100 per cent with, like all the machine greys and the salt reds. I’ve still got a bit of learning to get through the day.”
Satisfaction
Lily talks about the satisfaction in being part of a team that can deliver crashed vehicles back to their owners in pristine condition.
“It’s been great to see the car come into the workshop, being repaired, and then primed, and then it’s up to you to make it look pretty again. Seeing all those processes, and then to finally see the finished result is such a good feeling.”
She is also aware that the commitment to excellent results resonates with those customers who are particularly proud of their cars.
“I’ve had a few high-end jobs,” she says. “There was a Bentley and a Maserati. The Bentley was only a small job, but I was still very happy with it. The Maserati was a full side and a door jamb and the way it came up, I was thrilled about that.”
Lily is also acutely aware that no one is perfect or walks into a workshop knowing everything, so learning from mistakes is equally important part of developing.
“I’ve had a few mishaps,” she says. “The first time I ever had a mishap was in my view, a bad one.
“I had just finished a job the day before, and I was just buffing spots on it, and the customer had come in to have a look at the car. And once I was finished buffing it, I had to move it between two poles into the washbay. Well, I didn’t see one of the poles and right while the customer was standing there watching, I hit one of the poles. At the time, I was so scared, I just walked off crying.”
The damage did not turn out to be too significant and only required a replacement light, but the mortifying incident taught her a few things about herself. She also recognises from this incident, and so often during her development, that having a supportive workplace is so important.
“They are like my other family.”
Letting her work do the talking
This support extends to being female in what was once a male dominated industry. While she has encountered one or two people over her journey who question her presence in the workshop, she no longer lets that anger her and prefers to let her work do the talking.
Lily also has the same advice for younger people who are wondering what they will do in their careers or being encouraged to go to university when it may not be what they most love or are suited to. She encourages them to be adventurous and follow their loves.
“If they really wanted to give it a try, and even if they weren’t sure about it, I would say; ‘just go for it’,” she says.
“After the trial day, if they don’t like it, there is also a three-month probation where people can decide if it might not be for them.”
Lily says it was a slightly roundabout route to a career she now loves. Her school had encouraged her to look at the possibility of training as an electrician and then as a carpenter’s apprentice, but it was serendipity and her brother-in-law that brought her into collision repair and the role she now gets so much satisfaction from.
“There are plenty of opportunities out there, so people just need to give it a go.”