THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD NOVEMBER 5-6, 2011 Search forjobs on your iPhone - see myeareencom.au/lphone

THE SWITCH -

From groundsmanto auto electricianAlthough Jamie Bradley loved

his former career as alandscaper and groundsman,

it came unexpectedly."I moved from Victoria to

northern NSW about nine years agoand began doing odd jobs atservice stations or mowing lawns,"he says.

"My girlfriend at the time wasworking at a resort and a positioncame up as a groundsman."

Bradley took the job and foundhimself working at the BlueDolphin Holiday Resort in Yamba,about an hour south of Byron Bay.

"The job was great. I was goodwith staff and as a leader. Mymanager picked up on that andI soon became head groundsman,with five staff on my team," he says.

"The biggest part of my job wasto make sure the park looked good.I got to be outside, either mowinglawns, helping gardeners or[looking] after the grounds," hesays. "We'd run around onpushcarts or bicycles - it kept mepretty fit."

With up to 1000 people a dayarriving at peak periods such asChristmas and Easter, Bradley's rolewas essential to the smoothrunning of the park.

"It was a pretty big park, so whena customer arrived a groundsmanwould take them to their site - youhad to co-ordinate it well or you'dhave a line of caravans stretchedalong the road," he says.

All went well until the globalfinancial crisis, when Bradley wasmade redundant. A chance meetingwith an old friend who owned anearby auto electrics business ledhim to his new career.

"He knew I was a reasonablyhard worker and had my headscrewed on [so offered me work]. It

was a big drop in wages, soI chatted to my partner, Debbie, andrealised [auto electrics] would getme through to retirement," he says.

After a few months of workingtogether his new boss took him onas an apprentice and, at 40, Bradleywent back to school. He's now in thesecond year of his apprenticeship,which sees him learning on the jobat Passmore Auto Air and Electricalin Maclean, as well as in theclassroom at TAPE.

"I go to school three days in arow every three weeks at the TAPEin Grafton. It's great going back toschool with all the young guys -I'dforgotten about their larrikinnature," he says.

Working as an apprentice autoelectrician involves removing partsand repairing alternators, startermotors and circuit boards.

"I've just started repairingthings, as I'm not into my third yearyet. It's never been boring. Theplace I work is always busy andthere's always something going on."

He's also pleased with his newchosen direction for less-obviousreasons. "It's a lot cleaner thanbeing a mechanic and I think it's alot more interesting," he says."I don't want to upset mechanicsbut cars these days have so manyelectronics [that] my job isreally fascinating."

Bradley says age is also on hisside. "I'm getting quite high marks.I've progressed faster than someyoung apprentices, probablybecause of my age," he says.

In fact, being older than hisclassmates doesn't bother him.

"I get along quite well with theyoung guys. They ask me questionsso it's teaching me, too, as I have tothink about the answers!"

SUE WHITE

SALARY $800 a week.WORK-LIFE BALANCE "It waspretty good, especially living inYamba. We lived about a minutefrom the beach and there wasalso the Clarence River, so therewas lots of time on the water."HOURS 40 hours a week, spreadover four 10-hour days. "I waspretty lucky, I had three days offa week."

Revved... Jamie Bradley, groundsman(above) and as an auto electrician(top). Photo: DebM Photography

SALARY Bradley began on$400 a week as an apprentice."It's increasing now. It's still notwhat it was but I'm looking at thebigger picture."WORK-LIFE BALANCE "Not toobad. I get the weekends off andmy boss has a 27-foot yacht, sowe go out racing every coupleof weeks."HOURS Sam to 5pm, Mondayto Friday.MISS "Working outside andbeing able to get my feet wet atwork [the holiday park had boatson site]."CHALLENGES "Now I know I cando the job, I'm not findinganything too much of achallenge. I've always liked beingable to give something a go."

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