The company is rewarding automotive apprentices with Supercars experiences in partnership with RAS

Gates Australia says it strongly believes young apprentice mechanics are the future of the automotive industry and recent survey data has shown a large percentage of Australian apprentices leave the industry in their third year.
Gates’ objective for its apprentice program is to reward young apprentice mechanics and demonstrate to them there is more to the industry than just the daily grind.
During 2022, a pilot program was launched by Gates in partnership with Repco Authorised Service (RAS), where apprentice mechanics were encouraged to submit a short video explaining why they decided to become an automotive mechanic.
Winning submissions were rewarded with a VIP Supercars experience at the Gold Coast 500. The apprentices were treated to the full corporate hospitality experience in the Penrite Racing corporate suite, including Supercar driver meet and greets, pit tours and team merchandise packs.
After the success of the initial pilot, Gates launched the same program with RAS apprentices in South Australia. With the hype buzzing from the Gold Coast event, videos submissions rolled in, which Gates then shared via its social media channels with strong engagement across multiple platforms.
The lucky SA apprentices were treated to a day at the Adelaide 500 street circuit, the exciting final round of the Supercars calendar. One extremely lucky apprentice also got the opportunity to experience an adrenalin packed hot lap around the track in the Ford Mustang Safety Car.
Following the overwhelming success of the program, Gates will again be running the program during 2023 with winning apprentices having the opportunity to attend the Newcastle 500, Melbourne GP, Perth SuperSprint, Tasmania SuperSprint and Darwin Triple Crown Supercar events.
In addition, Gates will also be launching an exciting Bathurst 1000 experience, with all apprentice videos submitted putting them in the running to win a spot to attend the pinnacle event in Australian sport as a guest of Gates.
“The initial idea for this program evolved from an initial approach by a RAS Business Specialist who was looking to take some apprentices to the Gold Coast 500 event as part of the RAS workforce development initiatives and hoped Gates may be able to assist with some merchandise or general admission ticketing,” Gates Australia Marketing Manager, Priscilla Robb, said.
“From there we have turned this into a national program to recognise, reward and educate the apprentices who are the future of the Australia Automotive Aftermarket Industry.
“Being able to host the apprentices provides Gates the opportunity to educate and promote our brand at the grassroot levels, and it is so rewarding to see many of them experiencing the excitement of a Supercars event in a Corporate Suite.”
National Manager for the RAS program, Peter Rogers, who is also a board member of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association, expressed his gratitude to Gates Australia for supporting skills development in the industry.
“The skills shortage is a critical issue, and we are actively seeking initiatives and partnerships that will help enhance our workforce” Peter said.
“From a simple request for help, Gates have stepped up to throw their full support behind our efforts and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment to RAS and to the trade more broadly.”

For more from Gates Australia, visit www.gatesaustralia.com.au