Employer Shane Cronin, left, with LINK Employment and Training nominee for Apprentice/Trainee of the Year Denis Baxter.
DENIS Baxter could soon be known as the “reno king”.
The 21-year-old Clyde resident this week graduates with a Certificate IV in building construction and a career with home renovation and extension company Cronin Builders.
To cap off an exciting three years since finishing his Victorian Certificate of Education, Denis has this year been nominated as a finalist in the LINK Employment and Training Apprentice/Trainee of the Year awards.
And while he didn’t score the major prize, Mr Baxter is rapt to have been nominated.
“I am very proud, and quite surprised,” he said.
“So many people are putting as much of an effort into their work as they can, and I didn’t expect be chosen.
“I’m not sure how I was nominated, but I would like to say thank you to whoever nominated me.”
His boss, Shane Cronin, said Denis was punctual and always arrived bearing a strong work ethic.
“He’s a good kid – he turns up to work every day and tries hard and doesn’t complain about anything,” Mr Cronin said.
Mr Cronin said Denis was a fast learner and had progressed from few skills and little knowledge to being a competent carpenter.
“When he first started he wasn’t too good using a hammer,” Mr Cronin said.
“We taught him how to do that and now he uses nail guns and power saws and performs general carpentry and all that.”
Mr Cronin said Denis had come to the company through LINK.
“We’ve been using LINK since 1985 and you get your good ones and bad ones,” he said.
“But all of our apprentices we’ve had through LINK, and actually some earlier ones, I still hold good relationships with.
“And you get the good ones like Denis that you want to hang on to.”
