Ford honours go to local apprentice

Friday, 11th February, 2011

* Ford Apprentice of the Year, Alex Johnson, was "stoked" at winning the award which brought with it a prize of a Sidchrome toolbox.

That includes the Northern Territory and South Australia as part of the nationally-recognised Ford Apprentice Program.

The program's aim is to teach apprentice mechanics the fundamentals of the latest Ford motors, parts and equipment and how to work with them.

Alex has been travelling to Adelaide for several years to do the course.

Service manager at Far West Auto, Craig Caruana, said Alex's attitude towards his course and his consistently high grades had won him the honour.

"You start off as nothing and you end up with your trade," he said.

Alex, who has been in the program for three years, was very pleased with the news.

"I'm pretty stoked," the fourth year apprentice told the BDT. "A lot of hard work went into it."

Mr Johnson encouraged other up and coming tradies to be a mechanic as it was "a good trade to be in."