Plumbing Connection Summer 2017

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4 4 PLUMBING CONNECTION Summer 2017
RHEEM 2017 APPRENTICE PLUMBER
GRANTS WINNERS ANNOUNCED
T his year Rheem is celebrating its 80th anniversary since
it began manufacturing in Australia and five years since
it kicked off the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants.
These grants lend a helping hand to plumbing apprentices
and form part of Rheem’s aim to invest in the plumbing
industry’s skills future and provide training support.
For 2017 there were 10 grant winners from around Australia
who each received $2,000 to go towards their TAFE/RTO fees
and/or text books, a $1,000 voucher from the merchant of
their choice and tool bag.
The applications were reviewed by
three judges, Kevin Shinners who is
a long-standing plumber and Master
Plumbers and Mechanical Services
Association Australia board member,
Paul Carey who is a National Plumbing
and Services Training Advisory Group
deputy chair and a teacher at Gordon
TAFE in Victoria, and Jon Palfrey, Rheem
training manager and a former plumber.
“The plumbing industry has provided
immense support to Rheem over the past
80 years and these grants are designed
as a thank you and to help foster the
future generation of plumbers. With data
showing apprenticeships have declined
in Australia, we are happy to play a small
role in helping encourage those who might
be struggling financially or need a morale
boost to continue with their studies,” says
Rheem chief operating officer Chris Taylor.
Rheem Australia has announced the winners of the enhanced Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants for
2017. While in previous years $1,000 grants were awarded to successful recipients, this year there
were 10 grants worth more than $3,000 each. Adelle King reports.
APPRENTICES
Some of the winning applicants include:
∫ Adam Nebelung: A sixth generation plumber who works as a
chef on weekends to provide for his young family.
∫ Sarah Condie: An independent young woman who moved out
of home at a young age and now works for the all-female
Tradettes Plumbing group in Brisbane.
∫ Patrick Andrews: The eldest of six children, Patrick is the
main breadwinner of his family and a vital support for his
single mum, who requires a liver transplant.
∫ Mohammed Osman: After living as a refugee for 12 years,
Mohammed, a father of two young
children, finished high school at 27 and is
now a first-year apprentice with a dream
to one day go back to his birth country
in East Africa and help them with safe
drinking water.
Since the Rheem Apprentice Plumber
Grant program was launched in 2012,
$180,000 in grants has been awarded to
160 apprentices.
The full list of this year’s winners can
be found on the Rheem website - www.
Left: Victorian winner Mohamed Osman.
Bottom left: North Territory winner Josh
Newnham following a presentation by
Rheem’s Wayne Margetich. Bottom right:
New South Wales winner Adam Nebelung
with his employer Darren Clancy.