Five minutes with…Jacqui Hodgkinson

Jacqui with local MP, Sarah Courtney

Tasmanian apprentice mechanic Jacqui has always been surrounded by all things engines, “My Dad would have to be the biggest part of becoming a mechanic. I’ve also always had a thing for needing to know how things work and motors were just another one of those things I had to work out. I’ve always been good with hands-on tasks and eventually it all came together,” she explains.

From a farming family, Jacqui was always more interested in being outdoors amongst the animals, cars and trucks, “This eventually lead to developing my own passion for all things with engines, and then eventually led into my career,” she says.

Now in her fourth and final year of her Light Vehicle Mechanic qualification at TasTAFE Alendvale, Jacqui is now working hard to be the best she can be in the Automotive Mechanics competitor at the Skills Show in June.

After winning Automotive Trade Apprentice of the year (TasTAFE) in 2015 in her first year of her trade, it was clear Jacqui was destined for big things in her skill. To prepare her for the challenges at the Championships, Jacqui is prepping as much as she can, “I’m brushing up on my skills, trying to learn as much new stuff as I can, making sure things are firmly in my memory so I don’t forget them when I get nervous. Which means, training every week for a full day and whatever I can cram in before bed when I get home most nights.

I’m really excited by this opportunity. It’s making me work harder and focus more both at training and at work,” she says.

Jacqui’s passion for her skill is reflected in what she says are her favourite parts of being a mechanic, “I like that every day you walk in the door and you don’t know what is waiting for you. Every day is a new challenge, a chance to learn something new and extend your skills. No two days are ever the same,” she explains.

Describing her WorldSkills experience so far as “challenging, insightful, enjoyable”, Jacqui is hoping she can inspire other young women to follow the path less travelled, “Not only does it give me the chance to challenge myself in new ways, but it also gives me the chance to show girls that just because you’re told that you can’t do something, or that you don’t think you can because it’s a boy’s thing or you’ve never tried it before, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it.

I want to use this experience to show people that you can be more than what gender stereotypes say you can or should be,” she says.

Help keep NSW on the move with a rewarding career in transport and logistics. Traineeships in these occupation areas are subsidised under the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled program. Visit VET.nsw.gov.au for more. #VETopensdoors