Focused performance a winner
Focused performance a winner
Former MITO apprentice Michael Paaymans has been awarded the title of 2011 MTA Apprentice of the Year, after competing against three of the best apprentices in New Zealand.
Michael performed strongly in four practical tests and in a panel interview assessing his technical skills and abilities. As part of the prize package, 22-year-old Michael received $2000 in prize money and also won a spot on Greg Murphy’s pit crew at November’s Sandown 360 V8 supercars race – a fantastic reward for this motorsport enthusiast and great recognition of his learning achievements and workplace performance.
Michael is employed at Lodge Auto Centre in Hastings, an automotive specialist centre that also works with some of New Zealand’s top motorsport teams. He landed the job after volunteering to assist the company’s co-owner Richard Field at one of the Hamilton V8 Supercar events.
“Michael gives everything 100% of his attention,” says his manager Richard. “He works very methodically and puts in a mammoth amount of effort to get the results he’s looking for. We like his work ethic and his desire to succeed, as well as his strong commitment to training.”
Michael’s passion for learning inspired him to study for a National Certificate in automotive engineering (which he completed in two years!). After his apprenticeship Michael applied for a MITO scholarship to complete an ATech® programme. After receiving the scholarship in early 2011, he took just six months to complete the ATech® programme, which is half the time usually required to complete the Level 5 qualification!
The learning curve continues for Michael - he intends to use the $2000 prize money for a new laptop which will assist him when he starts studying for a Bachelor of Engineering at Waikato University next year. “I hope this will lead to an engineering role with a motorsport team,” he says. It’s a key step in his long-term ambition to own a business that specialises in designing and manufacturing products for the motorsport/automotive industry. It’s this kind of focus that has seen him do so well in the past and will surely secure him a good future – and the achievement of his goals.
