As you head down the leafy streets of Forrest you’ll find Lewis, Curtis and Frazer, three of Manteena’s carpenters completing a new Alfresco area on a previously constructed Manteena home. The carpenters are a part of the Manteena Residential team, employed directly by Manteena and dispersed across a variety of projects in Canberra from new builds to extensions and renovations.
Lewis joined Manteena as a third year apprentice in mid 2019, Frazer came on board as a second year apprentice in early 2022 and Curtis was fully qualified when he came on board in mid 2022. It is the varying levels of experience at Manteena, and experiences outside of Manteena that make the Residential Carpentry team as diverse as it is. Now, it is your chance to join this growing team as we look to welcome a new apprentice to the team for 2023 and beyond.
Don’t take our word for it though, hear from the boys themselves about what makes working at Manteena Residential so great.
What is it like to work as a carpenter for Manteena Residential?
Lewis: Every day is different and there is more opportunity to do different types of carpentry. You get to do everything, not just basic carpentry. Some days it is trusses and steelwork, other days it is standard carpentry or putting up a new Alfresco area.
Curtis: We get to build and work on some of the better homes in Canberra from setting out footings through to the final clean out.
Frazer: And the culture is good. We have a good crew, we have fun.
Lewis: We act as the middle man between the project managers and the clients a bit too. Myself and Nick step up as leading hands to help Scott out when needed so there is more opportunity and responsibility in that area as well.
Why Manteena?
Lewis: There’s a lot more opportunity than a standard builder. You can travel the world if you want to and work across other areas of the business.
Curtis: For me it’s the satisfaction of seeing the end result and working through the whole project. And also the quality and type of jobs we work on.
What was your apprenticeship experience like with Manteena?
Frazer: Really good! I came in as a second year apprentice and the transition across was seamless. You get to work with different people and are exposed to different techniques in various stages of a job straight away.
Lewis: The team looked a bit different when I started but like Frazer I learnt a lot really quickly and was well looked after. There was definitely an opportunity to learn things quicker and with a broader scope of work.
What is your advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship In carpentry and joining Manteena?
Frazer: It’s a good pathway to more than just a specific trade.
Curtis: It’s very rewarding and there is greater satisfaction in the final result. Working at Manteena requires a higher focus on quality and care so you have to be prepared to invest in that.
What is the best think about working as a carpenter for Manteena?
Good people, good team, good houses.
Interested in Applying?
We have opportunities available for apprentices at various stages of their apprenticeship and fully qualified carpenters.
Contact Danny Agnello for more information, or send your resume to [email protected].
