Becoming a state finalist in the NSW Training Awards has put local resident Daniel ‘Stevo’ Stephens in the spotlight, but it’s a place he’s not entirely comfortable with.
After being named the Apprentice of the Year at the Western NSW vocational and education training (VET) awards in June, Daniel represented Western NSW at the NSW Training Awards dinner in Sydney last week.
The awards celebrate excellence across vocational education and training, recognising outstanding students, trainers, providers and employers.
And while Daniel was beaten for the title by 27 year old Sydney-based apprentice electrician, Kathryn Beale, being named as a state finalist is a huge achievement in itself.
Daniel said the whole process of being nominated, going through extensive interviews, attending two awards dinners and writing a speech, had been a real eye opener, but an experience he would however recommend to others.
“My biggest problem’s always been, that you have to sell yourself,” Stevo said.
“I don’t like doing that. I reckon if something was good to be said about you, it has to come from other people, not you.”
Daniel said he was shocked when he was announced as the Western NSW Apprentice of the Year.
“I felt like an impostor. I thought I’m sure other people would be better.”
That announcement took a while to sink in and the fact that he was required to go on and represent Western NSW at the state awards was very daunting.
“I definitely was excited but probably more nervous, when I read it was to be held at Sydney Town Hall,” Daniel told The Cobar Weekly.
“It was flash building, and for the first half hour I just sat there marvelling at the beautiful building and the amount of waiters and all the flash tucker on the trays.
“It felt like the movies,” he said.
Stevo’s road to becoming a powerline worker isn’t your typical apprenticeship story.
His journey from musterer to Western NSW Apprentice of the Year and a state finalist is one defined by hard work, resilience and a commitment to his community.
Raised in Warren, Daniel spent nearly a decade working solo as a contract musterer and fencer, covering hundreds of kilometres across the Far West.
Remote work suited Daniel and his strong work ethic, however, he said he did miss the comraderie of working in a team.
Daniel had been thinking of becoming a powerline worker for quite some time.
He applied twice before, missed out on a job at 17 in Warren when he left school and made an error on his next application when he ticked the wrong location box and was offered the job in Albury 13 years ago.
“I obviously wasn’t moving to Albury!”
At 38, the opportunity arose again in Cobar, and he was successfully accepted into the Essential Energy program.
Even though it had been a job he had always been keen for, the decision wasn’t taken lightly.
With a young family, successful business and years of experience, it took courage to make the leap, however the chance to contribute to his community in a new way and be part of a team again was worth it.
“I knew it was going to be different being my age, being 38, becoming an apprentice, that it would be a challenge,” Daniel said.
He was prepared to put in the time to study and his training and was confident he would succeed.
“There are other things I’ve done, I’ve always been good at, because I like to be good at things. Maybe that’s a fault,” he admitted.
“I knew that this was going to be a challenge, but it’s only one if you let it become one. I’m a proud bloke, but I’m not proud enough to be stupid. I needed to learn and it doesn’t matter if a bloke’s 22 teaching me, if he knows what he’s doing, I’m listening.”
“I’ve always believed respect is earned, not given,” Stevo said.
Throughout his apprenticeship journey, Daniel said he received lots of support from his wife Cass and their kids, his workmates and supervisors at the Essential Energy Cobar depot and Northwest area.
Daniel said he hopes his experience demonstrates to other young apprentices what they could achieve, and shows his kids (and the young footballers he trains) that if you work hard enough, you can achieve what you want.
Stevo is now considering taking on an electrical apprenticeship.
