Shane Madzen has his fair share of interesting work stories - music teacher in Abu Dhabi, security worker at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, guitarist in a rock band, and six years in Blood Service Logistics.
“I decided I wanted to do a job I actually liked to do. I couldn't see myself doing the same logistic type jobs until I retired, I wanted to gain more tangible skills that would keep me interested, and in a constant state of learning,” says Shane.
He decided being a welder would be a great job. “I like to make things, dismantle things, and fix things. I figured I could learn the skills and become good enough to make motorcycle frames and maybe even some sculptures to sell.”
Shane says he came to UCOL’s Certificate in Fitting, Welding and Machining wanting to be a welder but was drawn to the machining side and realised fairly quickly that was the path he wanted to head down. “I also enjoy using trigonometry for practical purposes, and CAD.”
“There was lots of practical training. We got to make lots of projects from the ground up. The tutors are all very knowledgeable and open, helping us along the way and letting us work it out for ourselves too. The course covered a lot of ground.”
“At my age I feel very lucky to have gained an engineering apprenticeship at Talus Industries in Levin, where I help maintain their machines, come up with ideas and test principles to perfect the engineering. I use the lathe and mill daily which I love,” he says.
“I realise there is a lot to learn and I’ve only just scratched the surface. I look forward to learning a lot more.”
Talus Industries NZ Limited, based in Levin, New Zealand, has been building its reputation in brush making and plastic moulding for nearly 60 years. It makes its products on site and is passionate about design, innovation, quality and performance.