Dubbo motorbike mechanic Steve Hanson wins Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year

Mr Hanson - who studied at TAFE NSW in Bathurst - was announced as the winner of the National Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year at an award ceremony in Lismore.

Before completing a Certificate III in Motorcycle Mechanical Technology and having the opportunity to change careers, Mr Hanson worked in the agriculture industry.

"I'd been hoping to do a motorcycle mechanic apprenticeship since I left school, so the opportunity to change careers and get my qualification through TAFE NSW has been a dream come true," Mr Hanson said.

"The teachers have been awesome; I've had two very different teachers both with excellent industry knowledge and both have been helpful and encouraging as I've completed the course.

"The facilities at TAFE NSW and the hands-on experience we get throughout the course have not only helped me in preparing for the Apprentice of the Year judging, but they're also skills I take with me to work every day."

Having been signed off late last year, Mr Hanson is now fully qualified and doing what he loves, working at M&M Mechanical in Dubbo and considering further automotive study.

NSW TAFE Teacher of Light Auto Mechanics, John Ewing, said the Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year is a tough competition to win, with independent adjudicators testing the nominees' knowledge of motorcycle service, repair and diagnosis, as well as interviewing their teachers and employers.

"This process makes the Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year award one of the most difficult to win, as you need to be very good at what you do at work, at TAFE NSW, and demonstrate that to an independent assessor," Mr Ewing said.

"Essentially, the judges are looking to reward an outstanding motorcycle technician at the completion of their apprenticeship and hopefully keep them within our niche industry."

TAFE NSW Bathurst has been delivering motorcycle technician training for over 20 years with a dedicated workshop, a range of motorcycles and ATVs, and teachers who have come from the motorcycle industry.

"Most of our apprentices are from regional NSW and come from businesses who have been sending their apprentices here for 10 to 20 years," Mr Ewing said.

"This allows us to customise and contextualise their training to their specific work environments for a more meaningful learning experience.

"Steven joins a healthy list of Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year recipients from TAFE NSW, he is an outstanding student, and we are very proud to have supported his learning journey."

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