Theory & practice – scholarship student Shaiykirra gets best of both worlds

Shaiykirra Jones had her heart set on being an electrician.

Unable to find an apprenticeship locally however, she decided to start with theory at uni in Adeaide.

“My dad is a carpenter and I always liked helping him out doing hands on practical things,” Shaiykirra said.

“I really wanted to get an electrical apprenticeship and start getting experience, but was having trouble finding someone to take me on.”

“I decided to study instead, and at least get a start on the theory side of things.”

Now with a Bachelor of Engineering Science in the works, and a OneFortyOne scholarship, Shaiykirra has been coming home to Mount Gambier during semester breaks to work with the team at the Jubilee Sawmill.

“I’m majoring in Electronics and Electrical Engineering.

While it’s not a requirement of my scholarship, I really enjoy working as part of the OneFortyOne electrical team in my breaks.

After graduation, Shaiykirra will join the OneFortyOne team on a two year contract.

“I’ve spoken to Paul (Hartung) about getting my electrical licence as well.

I’ve been able to apply the things I’ve been studying in real situations, and apply real situations to my study.

Uni is a lot of theory, and an apprenticeship is mostly practical – this way I’m getting the best of both worlds.”