To say Alex Ward was surprised to be named winner of the 2023 Ramset™ Apprentice Program for Australia is an understatement. The 33-year-old mature-aged electrical apprentice is also a husband raising two children.

Alex had worked in various jobs in the construction industry since he left school but was always looking to better himself.

“I started an electrical apprenticeship as it seemed like it would be something that would challenge me and with the electrical trade under my belt my family would be better off in the future,” he says.

“It wasn’t an easy decision as my wife was pregnant with our youngest child at the time. Little did we know he would be born with a genetic syndrome which placed a huge financial weight on our family as my wife wouldn’t be able to return to work as soon as we hoped.”

“We pushed through and I’m glad we did as now I’m coming to the end of my trade. I never did great at school as I found it hard to concentrate in a classroom environment so now back at TAFE it can still be challenging but being on the tools each day, and helping people achieve their dreams makes it all worth it.”

Alex won three Ramset tools including the CableMaster™ C-Plus®, Wall Chaser and Class-M 35 Litre Vacuum Cleaner, along with Ramset merch after completing the required training modules and answering the question of why he deserved to win.

When Alex received the email informing him that he won, he was sceptical.

“I assumed it was spam but at the same time I was like hey, this could be legit. So, I dug a little deeper and reached out separately. Turns out it was real, and I had won. I had never heard of people actually winning these things, so for it to happen to me – I was actually gobsmacked.”

“Being able to get some of these more specialised tools is such a blessing and now I’ll be able to work more efficiently and soar ahead in my trade.”

For budding apprentices out there, Alex has some simple advice. “I am so thankful to Ramset for running this promotion and choosing me as the winner. To all the other apprentices out there – stick to it, take in as much as you can and chase those dreams.”

The Ramset Apprentice Program for 2024 will return later this year. Keep an eye out for details by following us on Instagram @ramsetaus for the latest updates!