NEACH Apprentice Named Rising Star of the Year

NEACH apprentice Alex has been named Rising Star of the Year at the 2026 Manufacturers' Monthly Endeavour Awards, held at The Westin Brisbane. The award recognises an emerging leader in the early stages of their career who has made a measurable impact through technical skill, initiative, or contribution to business improvement. Competing against nominees from across Australian manufacturing, Alex's recognition is a strong signal of what structured apprenticeship pathways can produce.

Alex joined NEACH straight from school, approaching the business directly for a work trial before securing his apprenticeship. He is now approaching his third year of a Certificate III in Engineering, Fabrication Trade, and has progressed from entry-level workshop tasks to contributing to complex structural steel fabrication on major Queensland infrastructure projects. His work includes components for lift shaft structures requiring precision, distortion control, and sequencing knowledge well beyond what most expect from someone at his stage of training.

What sets Alex apart is not just technical progress. His safety discipline, consistent quality results, and willingness to ask the right questions, on drawings, weld preparation, and distortion management, reflect a tradesperson focused on mastering the craft rather than moving through tasks. Senior fabricators at NEACH have noted the accuracy of his work, and his ability to operate autonomously on allocated packages without constant supervision.

This award belongs to more than Alex alone. It reflects the environment NEACH's team has built, one where apprentices are given real project exposure, mentored by experienced tradespeople, and held to the same standards as the rest of the workforce. Alex is part of a growing apprentice cohort that is central to NEACH's long-term workforce strategy, building the internal capability needed to deliver Queensland's expanding infrastructure pipeline reliably and to compliance.

Alex is on track to complete his Certificate III in December 2026, with ambitions to take ownership of large-scale fabrication packages and mentor the next group of apprentices coming through. Congratulations, Alex, and well done to the broader NEACH team for creating the conditions that make this kind of recognition possible.