By Kyra Gillespie
Passionate tradie Ebony Griffin is breaking through the glass ceiling – one nail and hammer at a time.
The 24-year-old won Master Builders State Apprentice of the Year award in Joinery on Friday 11 May.
It’s not the first award under Ebony’s tool belt; the young apprentice also took out the Female Apprentice of the Year back in 2016.
“I already won a couple of years ago, so to win again the second time is a real honour,” Ebony said.
Ebony was nominated by her TAFE teacher for her rigorous work ethic, which he says shows in all the work she produces.
Following her teacher’s nomination she was selected as a finalist and went through an interview process with a panel of judges in the city, after which she took out the Victorian award.
Alongside a plaque with her name engraved, Ebony also received $2000 worth of tools and clothing donated by the Master Builder sponsors.
In 2014 Ebony began her apprenticeship as a joiner making timber windows and doors, then moved onto shopfitting in 2016, and then back to Joinery in 2017.
“It only took me six months to realise that joinery using natural timbers and focusing on finer details was my true passion and that it was a career I wish to follow for the rest of my life,” she said.
“I always knew I wanted to work in a hands-on job, but when I finished school my mum basically told me it was uni or move out – so I completed one course in Media and Communications and another in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology.
“Then when my brother finished school he was allowed to do an apprenticeship, and I was like, ‘Hey, I want to do that too!’ And I’ve never looked back since.”
The third-year apprentice said being a woman in a male-dominated field never deterred her.
“I’ve never really seen it as an issue; I just turn up to work to get the job done. The guys at work are great and treat me like they would anyone else.
“I know other girls in the industry who have had a tough time finding work which is unfortunate. But personally it’s never been a struggle.”
The young apprentice has been flexing her entrepreneurial flare by keeping up a creative project on the side of her usual work.
“As apprenticeship wage is often little, I have taken the initiative to create things using the skills I’ve learned at work to sell on the side.
“I also enjoy creating things, starting from an idea, and utilising offcuts and raw materials and seeing how my knowledge extends past what I do at work.
“Currently, I have created coasters using off cuts and work and recycling material at work. In the future I plan to create other things such as chopping boards and cheese platters using different timbers and finishes.
“I have also purchased moulds, rebated them and made decorative mirrors for friends and family, and will soon be creating frames for members in the local Art Society to display their paintings.”
Ebony said the best thing about the job is seeing the finished piece.
“Seeing the final product after putting in hours of work is why I love what I do.
“I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent Chisholm over the course of my apprenticeship and I look forward to continuing to build and understand what it means to be an exceptional joiner for the years to come.
