Finding her feet on the workshop floor

One thing you notice straight away about Bessie McKay is how comfortable and confident she seems in the workshop. Hands black with grease, sleeves rolled up, she looks right at home among the tools, trucks and machinery at Co-Op Toyota in Hobart.

But finding her feet in the industry didn’t happen overnight.

“I was about 15 or 16 when I had work experience here. So I was really young coming into a male-dominant field,” Bessie said.  “I was really scared, very nervous. I didn’t think I’d ever be good enough. But the people I worked with always helped me feel comfortable and confident in what I was doing, even through the work experience.”

Now 18, Bessie is thriving as a third-year light vehicle apprentice. Last year, she was recognised as Work & Training’s First Year Apprentice of the Year. More recently, she received Co-Op Toyota’s coveted Golden Spanner award, presented each month to the workshop’s best performer.

Diagnosed with dyslexia in Grade 3, Bessie struggled to keep up at school and often doubted her own abilities. Over time, she lost confidence in the classroom and just didn’t want to be there anymore.

When the opportunity came to pursue an apprenticeship through Work & Training, she was excited by the prospect of learning through doing and using her hands. As it turned out, it wasn’t quite as simple as that.

“I realised that you actually had to write quite a lot,” she said. “Especially through TAFE, you do a lot of reading, a lot of tests, and I was like, ‘here we go again’.

“But I managed to push through. I had my family supporting me and work supporting me, and they gave me a tutor. Every week, I’d spend about an hour with her during my work hours. She helped me read through my job cards, helped with my grammar and spelling. It gave me a little bit more confidence as a person.”

Bessie said having people around her who believed in her made a huge difference.

“It’s so important,” she said. “If you have a hard day, you’ve got someone there to talk to. It’s reassuring to have that comfort and know you’ve got someone there to help.”

Bessie’s workshop controller Nathan has seen her steady development first-hand.

“Bessie’s confidence has grown immensely,” Nathan said. “Her work has gone up another level. I can basically give her any job and I know she’s going to do it to the best of her ability. Apparently she wants to end up being a workshop controller. I’d better watch my back!”

Receiving the Golden Spanner was a proud moment for Bessie and in some ways a symbol of how far she’s come.

“I was a little bit nervous, but I was happy to be recognised for all the hard work I’d been putting in. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job so it’s good to know everyone else can see it as well,” she said.

Looking ahead, Bessie hopes to complete her apprenticeship and continue her career with Toyota. She has a few ideas about what the future might hold and would one day like to move into a training or advisory role.

She also wants to advocate for young people with learning difficulties and help show them that school doesn’t define your ability. Her advice to them is simple.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If you want to go down the trade path, do it. You’re going to have challenges along the way but there are challenges with anything. As long as you’ve got good people around you, you’ll get through it.

“It’s amazing. It’s so great, so much fun. I’ve loved having the experience I’ve had.”