Capricorn has named second-year apprentice Megan Toia as the winner of the prestigious Rising Stars Award.
Megan works at Capricorn Member business Badgingarra (Badgy) Motors, located about 200km north of Perth.
“Coming from a small rural town, there weren’t many apprenticeship opportunities, especially for women,” Megan said. “After working in a recycling centre that offered me no long-term career prospects, I saw an advertisement for an apprentice at Badgingarra Motors.”
Megan’s employer, Harry Burgess, couldn’t be more pleased with her progress and work ethic.
“Megan is a great asset to my business,” he said.
“She applies pressure to herself to complete her tasks to the highest standards and she is very thorough. She is a fast learner who follows instructions, can work independently and takes constructive advice well.”
Outback mechanics
This award celebrates and acknowledges exceptional apprentices within the automotive aftermarket industry.
Megan was selected from a competitive pool of over 300 apprentice nominations from Capricorn Member businesses. Her passion for the industry, dedication to learning, and relentless pursuit of excellence greatly impressed the panel of judges throughout multiple rounds of evaluation.
Megan comes from the wheat and sheep farming community of Moora, a town with a population of just 1,755. Despite the long 60km daily commute to the workshop in Badgingarra (population 173), and the frequent two-hour drives to South Perth to complete her block release TAFE studies, Megan remains committed to her apprenticeship.
“As I have always loved cars and learning about how they worked, while also loving problem solving and getting my hands dirty, this apprenticeship has proven to be perfect for me.”
“Harry has been very patient, he has walked me through all of the mistakes that I have made and has been incredibly supportive throughout my exciting automotive apprenticeship journey,” Megan said.
Celebrating excellence
Megan was both surprised and thrilled to be named the 2024 Capricorn Rising Stars Overall Winner.
“I am trying not to let it go to my head as winning this competition has really blown my mind,” Megan said.
Looking ahead, Megan plans to become fully qualified at Badgingarra Motors. After gaining experience for a few years, she aims to upgrade her qualifications to include heavy diesel trade by working in the mining industry.
Eventually, Megan aspires to open her own automotive service and repair business, with a particular focus on employing individuals who are often underrepresented in the industry. She hopes to create a safe and inclusive work environment, similar to what she has found at Badgingarra Motors.
Megan also intends to use her platform as the 2024 Capricorn Rising Stars Overall Winner to advocate for more support to encourage apprentices from regional communities like hers to pursue careers in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Brad Gannon, Capricorn Group CEO Designate, congratulated Megan on her well-deserved win.
“Megan is an outstanding young apprentice and a very worthy winner of our Rising Stars Award. She certainly has a bright future in the automotive industry,” Brad said.
“Thank you to the 300 plus Capricorn Members who nominated their talented apprentices in this year’s Award. We had nominations from all over Australia and New Zealand, showing the breadth of talent in our industry,” Brad added.
The Capricorn Rising Stars Award is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Castrol, Repco, and The Workshop Whisperer.