Team backed, purpose driven
Being a mum to a three-year-old while training to be an apprentice is no easy feat. Early starts and long days are just the beginning for Piper Shaw, but she’s finding that support at home and in the workshop is making all the difference.
With a love of cars and bigger machinery, Piper originally looked for a position in heavy diesel mechanics but didn’t have much luck. She saw an opportunity with A&M Panel Repairs, who repair and restore vehicles as well as specialise in motorhome and caravan collision repair.
A&M owner Tim McDougal was quick to see potential in the young mum and offered her a job and a MITO apprenticeship. “I thought that there'd be lots for me to learn, and I took it on,” Piper says. “And I'm super glad that I did, because I absolutely love it.”
There are plenty of challenges to balancing motherhood with study and a 45-hour work week, but Piper is finding a lot of reward in the journey to reaching her goals.
Her usual day starts as early as 5am so that Piper and her daughter can enjoy time together before daycare drop-off at 7.30am. Then it’s straight to work where Piper learns a little bit of everything in the process to achieving her New Zealand Certificate in Collision Repair (Non-structural Repair) (Level 4).
“When I first started, Tim put me into each of the workshops to give it all a go. So, I got to try the paint side of things and, across the road, the repair work with the caravans.”
That’s in addition to rust repairs, dent pulling, body filling, and anything else she can get stuck into, embracing every opportunity available.
Once it’s tools down at the end of the day, it’s home for dinner and bedtime routines with her daughter, home chores, and continuing to work, via eLearning, on gaining her MITO qualification. Piper knows that when you’re a parent, things don’t always go to plan. “We definitely miss each other a lot, but we know that it's for the best. It's just kind of fitting everything in where we can and not being super hard on ourselves when things don't get accomplished when they need to be.”
Helping to make the day-to-day easier is the supportive team at A&M, including MITO alumnus Dylan McGill, and regular check-ins from MITO Training Advisor Craig Legarth.
“Craig is really awesome,” Piper says. “He comes in and checks up on us, and he definitely keeps track of where we're at, and is really encouraging and supportive. There’s lots of support around us.”
Creating a supportive environment is built into the framework of A&M. Tim started in the same business when he was 14, working alongside his dad before purchasing the business in 2004. He sees the bigger picture for employees like Piper.
“I'm definitely a big advocate for apprentices in the workshop. You need to be able to give them some sort of qualification so they can move on to other places and things later on and continue their learning.”
Tim adds, “I'd absolutely encourage women in the trade too. There's no reason why a woman can't be in the panel trade these days doing everything that needs to be done.”
Piper has clear advice for other parents looking at a career in the automotive industry. “Before getting into it, make sure that you've got lots of support around you, and that you get into the right work environment where you've got lots of people to support you.” Ultimately: “Make sure it's something that you really want, and go for it.”
While there are plenty of future paths that interest Piper, including earthworks and farming, right now she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, feeling lucky to have found her support crew. “Awesome, awesome boss. Awesome staff around me. Definitely grateful for all of it.”
