Kane Baunsoe Receives 2010 AE Smith National Training Achievement Award
Kane Baunsoe Receives 2010 AE Smith National Training Achievement Award
AE Smith’s Brisbane Construction team have again claimed the 2010 National Training Achievement Award, taken out by sheet metal apprentice, Kane Baunsoe |
| 10 Nov 2010 |
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| The award, won by Victoria Construction in 2009 for the third time in five years, was previously awarded to Brisbane Construction in 2008. Kane, who was 16 when he joined AE Smith and is a born and bred Queenslander, beat out a field of national nominees to take home the respected award, which was introduced in 2005. The award is open to all apprentices and trainees within AE Smith who have a minimum six months of employment with the company. Staff can either apply for the award themselves or be nominated by their peers or supervisors. Kane says he has always been interested in sheet metal and engineering, reflected in his interest in building and driving 4 Wheel Drives and motocross bikes, helping him to pick up the trade quickly since joining the AE Smith team. “My aim is to gain as much knowledge as possible across the different parts of the business,” says Kane, whose long term goal is to move into Estimating. “It sounds like a cliché, but really for me it was a great achievement just to be nominated for the award, let alone winning it.” “It’s a good feeling to have my work recognised as there were a lot of other great achievers nominated as well,” he said. Kane’s Workshop Production Manager, Richard Mapp said Kane’s work ethic was very strong, and he foresaw a wonderful future at AE Smith for him. “Kane also likes to get involved in safety, and was part of a workshop team that has just completed a Certificate 4 in competitive manufacturing, working on projects including Lean processes, Six Sigma methodologies, cost saving, problem solving, mistake proofing and quick change-over procedures.” “I’m confident these additional pursuits will provide enormous benefit to him as he continues to learn and grow, and ultimately will benefit us as a business,” he said. AE Smith provides an award to the most outstanding candidate for each branch, with those winners then going on to the National Award interviews. Each branch award recipient receives a trophy and a $250 cash incentive, while the person judged the most outstanding apprentice receives the National Training Achievement Award and receives both a trophy and an additional $1000 cash incentive. The National Award interviews are conducted by a selection panel consisting of Group General Manager Service, Aldo Cevaal, National Safety Manager, Danny O’Reilly and National General Manager – Construction, David Seedsman, with the candidates judged against set selection criteria to ensure all are assessed on an equal basis. AE Smith would like to encourage the involvement of even more participants in the awards in coming years, to represent all areas of the country and all parts of the business. |
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| Image, top: Steve Jackson, General Manager AE Smith Construction Brisbane, presents Kane with his 2010 National Training Achievement Award. Above: Kane Baunsoe, recipient of the 2010 AE Smith National Training Achievement Award, puts his skills into action in the AE Smith Brisbane workshop. |
