Gunnedah's Montana Dries has become passionate about inspiring other young women to consider a trade career - and now she's been named the year's top female apprentice/trainee in a non-traditional trade.
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The 22-year-old travelled to the HVTC awards in Newcastle on Friday night to accept her honour alongside 14 other winners from across NSW.
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Montana said it was great to be recognised and she hoped her award would inspire other people to pursue a trade career.
Having parents who both worked in a trade, Montana knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps.
"Before selecting the electrical trade I always knew I wanted a hands-on career, which led to me completing a certificate II in engineering in 2012. This showed me the possibilities of what was out there," she said.
"I've always been more hands-on than academic, so I knew that if I wanted to pursue a career in something like engineering down the track, a trade would be the best avenue to help get me there."
Montana completed a pre-apprenticeship in electrotechnology in 2014, which helped her start an apprenticeship with Gunnedah Leather Processers in 2015.
She completed it with HVTC North West and host employer JA Martin Electrical, where she now works full-time as a qualified electrical tradeswoman.
Montana now enjoys empowering women to pursue career paths they take pride in, even if they are in male-dominated industries.
"I hope that, by sharing my experiences with others, it will promote that it is OK to go outside your comfort zone and that anyone is able to succeed in any trade."
- Montana Dries
She has spruiked the benefits of vocational career pathways to others, including relatives and family friends.
"My younger cousin has since enrolled in an electrical pre-apprenticeship program, while my younger brother has recently commenced an apprenticeship," she said.
"I hope that, by sharing my experiences with others, it will promote that it is OK to go outside your comfort zone and that anyone is able to succeed in any trade."
HVTC chief executive officer Sharon Smith said Montana's achievements highlighted the VET sector's important role in upskilling Australia's future workforce.
