Bright Spark at TAFE Queensland
From having no idea what she wanted to do, to working behind-the-scenes at gigs such as P!nk, Coldplay and Post Malone, apprentice electrician Mikayla Jodvalkis followed her curiosity into an unexpected career, as Tayla Arthur discovers.
Mikayla always knew she wanted to travel, have a good work/life balance and a job that was active – but like many school leavers, outside of those pre-requisites, she didn’t feel drawn
to any specific career.
Naturally, she first ventured into hospitality, working for a snow season down south and spending a year travelling around Australia funded by casual work in cafes and restaurants.
But before long, she realised the industry wasn’t the right fit for her.
She then took on a job doing water deliveries to local businesses, but once again, she found herself feeling unfulfilled.
It was while considering her next move that she caught up with a friend and found her interest piqued by his lifestyle.
“The more I saw my electrician friend and how chilled out he was with his work, the more it looked like a great option for myself. So when he offered to let me come work with him for a week,
I thought, ‘Why not?’,” Mikayla said.
“After shadowing him on the job and finding I liked it, I thought I’d look at getting an apprenticeship and seeing how it went.”
Mikayla was delivering water to a business next to All Electrical Work when she had a lightbulb moment that would set her in a direction she’d never realised was an option.
“I’d heard All Electrical Work was looking for an apprentice, so when I found myself next door, I took it as a good sign and decided to walk in and introduce myself,” Mikayla said.
“I was signed to do my training with TAFE Queensland at the end of that year, officially started in January, and then two weeks later they asked if I was happy to do some ‘away’ work. I had no idea what it was or that it was even something electricians did, but I was a new apprentice trying to impress, so I was like, ‘Sure!’,” she laughs.
“Next thing I know, I’m on tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Post Malone.”
Unbeknownst to Mikayla, in addition to working on more stereotypical electrical jobs like industrial controls, commercial developments, and residential constructions, her new employer undertook a vast range of contract work, including for the companies behind the Australian tours of some of the world’s biggest artists.
Now entering the fourth and final year of her apprenticeship, Mikayla spends several months each year travelling across Australia, working in a team alongside two to four other electricians to set-up, pack-down and ensure there are no technical issues for the likes of Harry Styles, P!nk, Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Weeknd, and Coldplay.
“It was definitely an intense switch from what I thought a career in electrical was going to be; it was a lot higher pressure and a lot more demanding. But it just fit,” Mikayla said.
“It’s a pretty cool gig, and it’s opened up some great opportunities for the future, but at the end of the day, we’re there to do our job, so we have to be focused.”
Outside touring season, Mikayla works across a range of areas in addition to completing her training blocks at TAFE Queensland’s Nambour campus, which with the assistance of her supportive teachers, are scheduled around her ‘away’ jobs.
“When we’re at home, we don’t just focus on a single thing. We do everything from working in factories to work on greenhouses at farms, to domestic and industrial work – just about anything you can think of. So, every day of every week is very different from the last,” she said.
“Then there are other ‘away’ work opportunities that come up – we’ll get sent overseas to work on a contract, or we’ll fly out to other parts of Australia
to work in mines for a bit, so there are a lot of different avenues.”
These opportunities have included working on a long-term project in Fiji that required Mikayla to fly out three separate times in her first year, as well as flying to South Korea earlier this year to assist with the set-up of professional golf tour, Liv Golf.
“It’s definitely been a really interesting experience. It’s nice being able to go into different cultures and understand how they approach our industry compared to the way we do over here,” Mikayla said.
Having just completed her first ‘away’ gig for this touring season – travelling across the country on Metallica’s M72 World Tour – Mikayla says she couldn’t be happier with her career, and encouraged others who are uncertain about which path they should take to be open-minded and willing to try new things.
“Be open to new opportunities, be open to meeting new people, and if something comes up, there’s really no harm in taking it – it’s good to step into new directions,” she said.
“I remember someone suggesting it (electrical) as a good career for me when I was 16, but at the time I didn’t think it was for me. It wasn’t until my friend told me about his work and encouraged me to actually try it that I even considered it. But I’m so glad I did.”
From TAFE at School courses to fee-free apprenticeships and higher-level trades qualifications, there’s a pathway for every stage in your career journey.
If you’re interested in a career in trades but don’t know where to start, visit tafeqld.edu.au and let TAFE Queensland help you find your spark.
