Campbelltown TAFE graduate Bella Turrise can add career influencer to her list of achievements, encouraging young women to consider a career in a trade.
Ms Turrise is one of the country’s top up-and-coming vehicle refinishers, having this year been named the TAFE NSW supply chain and ecommerce student of the year, apprentice of the year, and student of the year.
She has also won a place on the Australian Skillaroos team where she will represent her trade internationally in the next WorldSkills competition.
Ms Turrise completed her apprenticeship last year and remembers when she first started, seeing the skilled tradesmen working on a car and thinking, “I want to be doing that’’.
“There’s a lot more to it than first appears,” she says.
“But those are the skills I’ve learned during my apprenticeship at TAFE NSW.
“This job is an art form, it’s soothing and I love working on cars, but I now know those skilled tradesmen were making it look easy,” she said.
The award-winning 23-year-old is now working in one of the state’s largest vehicle panel repair and paint companies, the industry leading AMA Group.
“I’ve always been passionate about my work, bringing damaged vehicles back to new and my passion continues to grow,’’ Ms Turrise said.
“I’ve focused on my work and on developing my skills and now I’d like to put some time into encouraging other young women to consider this as a trade.’’
Her TAFE teacher Carl Tinsley said he was proud of her achievements and said Ms Turrise was a fitting role model for the automotive spray painting and refinishing sector.
For more information about becoming a vehicle refinishing apprentice visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131601.
