Second time around: An apprenticeship built on resilience and faith

Wade Coop was already a mature-age apprentice when he first signed up back in 2006. Three years in, the global financial crisis hit Cairns hard, and the building industry ‘just collapsed overnight’.

“A bunch of carpentry apprentices were handed back on the same day. No one was hiring,” he said. “I had to pay the bills, so I went back into retail management and followed a totally different career path.”

That path wound through six years of climbing the corporate ladder, two years of Bible college, a handyman business, a couple of small ventures with his wife and a decade in pastoral ministry – a full life, but not without its share of heartbreak.

Six years ago, Wade lost his eldest daughter in a car accident. He and his wife were still carrying that grief when, a few years later, a complicated pregnancy nearly cost Wade’s wife her life.

“Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. There was a lot of stress through that whole time frame,” Wade said. “So I thought to myself, ‘you know what, I’ve got time up my sleeve. I’m going to take it’.”

Wade took three months’ leave and turned his attention to renovating his own home. The time off proved to be another turning point as Wade reconnected with something he’d been quietly missing.

“I fell back in love with my tools,” he said. “I thought a lot about not having finished my apprenticeship. It was something that had always been hanging over my head – you can’t call yourself a carpenter when you don’t have the ticket.”

While his previous building experience was an advantage, changes to industry requirements meant Wade would essentially have to start his apprenticeship from scratch. With support from his employer and friend Chris, from HWC Building Contractors, and his MRAEL Apprenticeship Consultant, Damian, Wade was able to ‘fast track’ the process.

“The support that MRAEL offered was outstanding. Damian helped keep things moving along and would often check in just to make sure I was doing ok. There was never anything that was too much or too hard. I always felt like I had a champion in my corner,” Wade said.

Through everything he’s endured, Wade says the worksite has been a steadying force – a place where good people and honest work have helped carry him through.

“There’s real camaraderie here. I’ve been very blessed. I can imagine that if you didn’t have the right crew around you, it could be very challenging. We’ve got a very professional company, good relationships and I have some great mates. And you always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.”

A move from Emerald to Yeppoon for a slower-paced HWC project gave Wade the breathing space to focus on the final components of his assessment. Within weeks, he’d uploaded his final piece – his apprenticeship was done.

“That feeling of elation. It’s done! In a little under two years, I managed to knock off the whole thing. It was a great sense of relief.”

With pastoral work and family time taking priority, he’s happy for now to continue with the employer who took him on and got him through.

“I want to support Chris. He’s the one who made it possible. I want to honour that and give back to him as much as I possibly can,” Wade said.

However, he does see a future where he can help support and mentor the next generation of tradies coming through. He feels strongly that there is more we can do to encourage that pathway.

“Our country is lacking in skilled workers. There are a lot of younger people who don’t have a good role model in their life. When they get around good leaders who can encourage them, who can challenge them – that’s how the future of Australia is going to grow. And I want to play a part in that.”

His pitch to anyone weighing up a trade is simple.

“There’s something so satisfying about working with your hands. You get fresh air in your lungs, you get good physical exercise and you get to see the fruit of your labour. My encouragement to others is that life hasn’t beaten you down yet. You’ve still got legs, you’ve still got a heartbeat — let’s keep going. There’s more to see and more to do and more ground to take.”