In the driving seat for this week's Turbo Talk is refinish technician Maxine Colligan. Very modestly she didn't mention her WorldSkills journey where she represented Australia in 2019 and took home a bronze medal. She has also won a number Paint & Panel awards for Young Achiever and a Women in Collision Technician Award.
How did you get started in the industry?
My start to the industry was a complete fluke! In the beginning, I had no idea this trade even existed until I left high school and I was talking to a friend of mine who was a first year apprentice spray painter. We got to talking about what is involved in the industry and how I can learn the trade. The next thing I knew I was walking myself down to my local TAFE and enrolling for the Cert II pre-vocational course. Initially the office staff thought I was enrolling in a spray tanning not spray painting course. I suppose they didn’t see many females attending spray painting. And the rest is history.
What do you do now?
I currently work as a spray painter for ARB 4x4 Accessories where I am on a team of people that help to colour code bullbars, rails, canopies and many more. I have been working with the company for two years now. I have also started a part time teaching job at Campbelltown TAFE. It’s good to see things come full circle and to be able to impart my knowledge and experience to those coming into the industry.
What do you most like about the industry?
This industry has endless opportunities that aren’t spoken about enough. No longer is this trade a field where you get a job as a spray painter or panel beater and do that until your body gives out. There are many opportunities available such as training, office/admin, quoting, parts managers, colour technician, sales, PDR technician, body shop owners, the list goes on…
At the end of the day, what determines what you make of this industry is your passion and your willingness to give anything a go. At first, I was very scared to make the switch from painting cars to painting bullbars. There are so many curves, tubes, twists and turns that need paint on when it comes to bullbars. And you can’t get dry spray or runs anywhere. So the beginning was a big learning curve. But I got the mentoring I needed and I proved to myself that I can do this.
You may surprise yourself with what you know and what you are capable of. You are never too young or too old to learn a new skill or dive into a new qualification. I thought initially I was too young to be a TAFE teacher. Maybe I wouldn’t have a lot in common with my work colleagues or I would have difficult students to deal with. However with the support of those at TAFE that’s not the case. They have welcomed me with open arms (most of them have taught me over my apprenticeship years), and they have implemented strategies with me to assist with students that maybe don’t want to be there. Overall its been a great experience so far, and I want other people to be able to experience the opportunities that this industry has to offer.
What do you most dislike about the industry?
This was a very difficult question to answer at first as I have definitely had my ups and downs in the industry. However the one moment my mind keeps going back to is the very beginning of my apprenticeship. As I was already enrolled at TAFE with the Cert II, the only gap to bridge was employment. I went from shop to shop, local to Campbelltown and into the city and not a single place would offer me even a free work trial, let alone employment. I was absolutely gutted, after searching for seven months to find a job in the trade, no one was willing to hire me. For a trade that is constantly ‘looking for tradespeople’, it was very disheartening to hear all the lies about how the shops were maxed out for staff (despite later hiring half my prevocational class), or didn’t have female bathrooms.
Who do you most admire in the industry?
There are many people that have contributed to my success in this industry, and I wouldn’t be half the spray painter I am today without them. However, there is one person that has believed in me from day one, and without their dedication for my success, I truly believe I wouldn’t have achieved the things I have or have had the opportunities to achieve more than I ever dreamed. So a huge thank you to Carl Tinsley at TAFE NSW.
Cars! tell us - first car, current car, dream car?
My first car was a 1996 Toyota Corolla hatch. It was a fantastic car that never died and I miss it very much. I remember the first oil change I did on the car about 8 months after I bought it. I had a friend of mine helping me out with it because I had no idea where to start with it - it turned out there was no oil left in my car. So we did a proper flush out, changed the filter and topped it up. It was driving even better than before. But it just goes to show that they truly are the best and most reliable cars.
My current car is still new to me as I only bought it about a month ago, a 2019 Subaru BRZ tS. It’s metallic black and although I hate the maintenance of black cars, this one fell into my lap at the right time, right K’s, right price and right specs so I’m very happy with it. And as much as I love both these cars, my dream car would have to be a 1992 Patrol TD42. I absolutely love to go camping and 4WD in my spare time so I would love a good project 4WD to modify, paint and take out on camping trips.