We couldn’t be prouder!

Over the past few months when work began to slow, Kerfoot took the opportunity to seek new ways for our employees to remain productive and engaged.

Working closely with NECA Training & Apprenticeships and the Kerfoot leadership team, our apprentice mentor Robert Bozinovski helped to develop and deliver an eight week training program for all of our 35 apprentices.

 

We recently presented NECA with a gift in appreciation of hosting this training and celebrated the outstanding achievements of this fantastic group.

Our thanks goes out to Lawrence & Hanson Northmead, Go Electrical – Silverwater and TLE Silverwater for their generosity in supplying the awards for our apprentices, Rodney Bellbowen at B&B Graphics for his assistance with NECA’s amazing table tennis table, NECA, Rob and our amazing group of apprentices who kept each other’s spirits up and continue to become stronger despite the challenges this year has produced.

Kerfoot Apprentice Mentoring Program Leader Robert Bozinovski takes time to explain technical concepts to Kerfoot apprentices.

 

When Dan Lakos joined Kerfoot mid-way through his apprenticeship, he described it as a big change. He spent the first two years of his apprenticeship with a large company but was sent back to NECA Group Training due to a downturn in work.

From there he then found himself at Kerfoot; surrounded by people who were interested in his learning and development.

“Kerfoot takes a real interest in teaching you,” Dan says. “You’re encouraged to ask questions and no matter how busy a job is, they’ll take the time to show you how to do things properly.

“They always put safety first and encourage you in such a positive way. From my experience, as an apprentice with Kerfoot, I’ve definitely become a better tradesman, and now I’m even running a couple of smaller jobs for them.”

From humble beginnings as a small family business, Kerfoot has embedded their family values into the everyday to create a positive and nurturing environment for all staff, now known as the ‘Kerfoot way’, which guides the company culture and how it works.

The Kerfoot Apprentice Mentoring creates a supportive learning culture for apprentices.

 

The company’s mentoring program – available for all staff, from apprentices through to site teams and the office – pairs participants with an experienced team member to support and nurture their ambitions and career goals.

It was through this mentoring that Kerfoot saw the need and opportunity to extend a more specialised program to focus on apprentices. This led to the creation of the Kerfoot Apprentice Mentoring Program, piloted by senior Site Supervisor Robert Bozinovski.

Robert, a dedicated and experienced member of the Kerfoot team as well as being a natural mentor and father figure, was selected in mid-2019 to take on Kerfoot’s pioneering approach to creating an ambitious yet supportive learning culture.

“I saw it as a great opportunity to be involved with and guide our youth,” Robert says. “I have two kids in their early twenties so I’m very familiar with this generation growing up, and the difficulties they face.”

Robert connects via weekly site visits and chats to each of the 38 apprentices, creating and managing an individualised program to foster and enhance their abilities, needs (both in their personal lives and career) and learning traits.

This strong and nurtured foundation of development will support a resilient foundation in trade skills.

The Kerfoot Apprentice Mentoring Program includes technical skills, safety, and personal development goals.

 

“We know through the National Electrical and Communications Association that there is a percentage of apprentices who don’t finish their trade and as high as 30 per cent may leave in their first year,” Robert says.

“Our apprentice program is about supporting the transition from school to full-time work, giving them the right tools both physically and mentally to enable them complete their apprenticeship, and go forward with confidence to be great tradespeople and potential leaders in the field.”

“We look at the whole person, we talk to them about the workplace culture, what Kerfoot is about and where we’re headed so they feel a part of that and want to stay with us in the long run.

“Being a part of the big picture has a major impact on apprentice retention and the quality of our work.”

As the program develops, it will include supporting team members to identify and move along career pathways, enabling apprentices to see how they can transition from learning their trade to being licensed and then moving into roles in leadership.

Robert says mental health support is a major focus for the team at Kerfoot and encouraging them to make use of the Employee Assistance Program is another way to further support our team

“Some of our apprentices have had to move to Sydney from regional areas, they’re away from family, they’re adjusting to full-time work, we don’t underestimate the impact this has and is another area we support them in any way we can,” he says.

The Kerfoot Apprentice Mentoring Program is about providing the support for apprentices to be great tradespeople and potential leaders in the field.

 

Apprentice Ryan Irwin, a couple of weeks shy of his fourth year, says he “genuinely loves” working at Kerfoot.

“Everyone gets along and there’s a sort of mateship about the place. Apprentices talk to Project Managers and Supervisors, we all get along that helps you feel like you’re a real part of the job.

“You can always ask questions if you’re unsure about any of the work and you know that your Leading Hand will be there to help out, and to know we also now have Rob to call or go to at any time if I have any concerns is really great.”

“It also means you take real pride in your work. One of my favourite jobs was at the State Library of NSW and the current project and the prison at Windsor. When I finish my apprenticeship, I’d like to stay with Kerfoot, it’s a great place to work.”

Dan Lakos completed his apprenticeship with Kerfoot and is now a fully licensed electrician, he says from day one he was given the opportunity to learn and take on responsibility in the company.

“There’s a real family atmosphere and that makes people feel responsible and part of successful projects.”

“I value my experience and I’m keen to pass that on to the younger apprentices coming through. I make time to teach them and explain things. The results I see are that people advance pretty quickly.”

Team Kerfoot tossed the footy around for a good cause recently, joining around 170 players in the third annual Bennelong Cup at Randwick Barracks.

 

The Bennelong Cup hosts graduates from the NRL School to Work program, which has helped more than 450 students complete their HSC, and provides an opportunity for them to play touch footy and network with potential employers, as well as rub shoulders with rugby league greats.

Fourteen teams, a total of 170 players, took the field for the Cup, which also raised more than $25,000 for Souths Cares, Cowboys House and other Indigenous charities.

The Bennelong Cup was organised by Bennelong Energy Services, co-founded by Manly NRL great, Cliff Lyons, along with Gavin Sheehan and Steve Freeman.

Each team had a former NRL star as part of their roster for the day, and Kerfoot were lucky enough to boast the ranks of dual rugby international Clinton Schifcofske.

 

 

Team Kerfoot represented the NRL colours of the Parramatta Eels, carrying the name Locke.

Maria Locke was the daughter of an Aboriginal Elder who in 1819, aged 11, took out the major academic award for the year at the school anniversary exams, competing against almost 100 of the local European children.

Despite only one training session together, Team Kerfoot performed admirably with the ball, reaching the semi-finals and narrowly missing out on the final.

They also represented Kerfoot with distinction, communicating and supporting each other – even in the face of a questionable call from the ref!

Team Captain Nick Kassis said Team Kerfoot showed up ready to play, despite their underdog status.

“If anything, being the underdogs made us more determined to go out there and give it our all. We lost our first game to the best team in the comp. We reassessed, revaluated and improved every game after that.

“I could hear whispers in the distance, talking about how good we were going. Quicker than ever, everyone knew who Kerfoot was. An inexperienced team, with the determination to succeed at all costs.

“From game one, our boys showed heart and ambition, and the desire and passion to win. I was very impressed with each player and their qualities they displayed in each game. Can’t wait till next year!”

 

 

Kerfoot Operations Manager Josh Kerfoot said that throughout the day, staff and employees demonstrated Kerfoot’s core values of, pride and passion, respect, ambition, nurturing and positivity.

“Young people can grow up feeling like they don’t have many options or opportunities, yet days like this show them that there are forward-thinking companies out there who are willing to give them a start and support them to do something they enjoy and can take pride in,” Josh said.

“We’d like to increase our involvement in the tournament in coming years as we feel that the initiative shown by the current organisers is consistent with our core values as an organisation.

“It aligns with the direction we have taken to educate, train and support our young employees into the future, as well as having an integral impact on the growth and future of Kerfoot becoming an industry leader in our field.”

 

 

Kerfoot’s own programs include the Kerfoot Mentor Program and the Kerfoot Apprentice Mentor Program, both of which are designed to help all Kerfoot team members achieve their personal and professional goals.

Apprentice Mentor Robert Bozinovski said: “On a personal note, it was absolutely amazing to have the opportunity to spend some time with the four Manly Sea Eagle greats – Des, Tooves, Cliffy and Gibsy.

“The pride and passion shown by our team and staff showing off our colours on the day made me proud to be a part of Kerfoot.”

 

The renewable energy sector is playing an increasingly important and prominent role in energy supply to Australian businesses and homes. It’s a future Kerfoot is passionate about, and our pride in our work means it’s time to educate people about the real value in solar system products, design and installation.

 During 2007, data from the Clean Energy Regulator shows there were 779 solar generation units installed in NSW. Think of these small units as a typical home installation. In just a few short years, that number spiked in 2011 at 80,272.

It was a great time to be in the solar industry: solar units were decent quality and their upfront cost was coming down. Government subsidies or bonus schemes were in place and customers could expect a decent feed-in tariff for their excess power.

This meant you could outlay a decent amount of cash on a sizeable system with a lifespan of up to 20 years and a payback period of five to seven years! Think about that – more than a decade of lower energy bills and money coming back into your pocket – all while feeling good about doing your bit for the environment by increasing your use of renewable energy.

Needless to say, increased demand led to increasing supply as more and more products and installers flooded the market to get their share of a booming new sector of the electrical industry.

But as the market grew from niche to mass, so too did Government attempts to regulate the uptake of solar – both to ensure the reliability of the power grid and, arguably, to help protect large generators from going bust or hiking up their prices.

Subsidies and bonus schemes were wound back, pushing up both the upfront system cost and extending the payback period. Basic economics kicked in and people became sensitive to price. In turn, price became the key differentiator for some in the market.

Suppliers who could offer the customer expertise in engineering, offer high-quality products and back that up with first-rate installation were squeezed by those chasing a quick buck with lower prices.

Fast-forward to 2020 and we have a scenario where the average customer feels they have to tread carefully in choosing products and installers. That leaves many engineers, project managers, and tradespeople who are highly skilled solar PV specialists – like those at Kerfoot who take pride in their work – are left scratching their heads as to why choices around these technical and important pieces of infrastructure are based solely on price.

Yet, a solar PV system is still a big investment that is part of a home or business for up to 30 years.

Yes, there are many industry players, including us at Kerfoot, who see solar PV as a critical component in a low-carbon energy future and take pride in the quality of our work and the products we use.

From our perspective, it leaves open important questions about how we educate consumers about the importance of quality, in both choosing products and suppliers, as well as the impact when many of the inferior systems fail, well short of their expected lifespan.

We stand behind our work. For example, Kerfoot’s work at the Australian Maritime Museum involved the installation of 243.6 kW lightweight, best in class, first in Australia, solar panels.

Learn more about how we’re tackling renewable energy projects.

Kerfoot is committed to helping our country rebuild

We are incredibly saddened and devastated to see what has been unfolding across the nation during the bushfire crisis. These unprecedented fires have destroyed countless homes and taken many lives; millions of animals have perished or lost their habitat, and communities have been decimated. As we all returned to work to the backdrop of unrelenting destruction and sadness, the bushfire crisis has been at the forefront of our minds as a company and collective of people who care.

 

None of us have to look far to discover someone close to us who has been directly impacted by the bushfires. At Kerfoot, the family of one of our valued leading hands has suffered property and stock losses on the south coast. The scale of loss even for this one family is profound, and it serves as an example of the scale and depth of impact.

 

Kerfoot is committed to helping our country rebuild. We take corporate responsibility seriously, and in response to the bushfire crisis we have begun with our pledge of $120,000 to be delivered over the next 12 months in cash and donations in kind.

 

We must not underestimate the gravity of this disaster and the long path ahead of us. Through discussions with our whole team, we’re heard their generous offers and wonderful ideas, and we have many tangible ways to come together as a team to make a difference. It is clear the whole Kerfoot team would like to be involved in the recovery and to do more than a one-off cash donation.

 

Our first step was to establish Our Bushfire Action Group 2020 to facilitate our contribution to the ongoing rebuilding and support of the families, communities and wildlife affected by these fires.

 

Our goals for our Bushfire Action Group 2020 will be:

 

• To Nurture and assist those people connected with Kerfoot who have been impacted
• To help and support the local/family businesses affected
• To assist farmers who are battling both the impact of the fires and the drought
• To support and help our wildlife which have lost their lives and habitat
• To create a positive impact through working together for a higher purpose

 

We’re so proud of how our team has, once again, come together for the good of our communities.

 

The Kerfoot team is renowned for supporting great causes, particularly in mental health and wellbeing, which affects each and every one of us at some point in our lives.

Movember

Tradie health, and men’s health in general, is incredibly important to the Kerfoot family, so it was easy to find volunteers for a team to join the Movember challenge in support of raising awareness and funds for research and treatment of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Our team Kerfoot Mo-Ment raised more than $1,600 for Movember this year.

A number of team members – and even one of our vans – sported dodgy-looking moustaches for a good cause.

Sporting causes

Scott McLaughlin, one of our resident keen golfers, just this week took part in a charity golf day The Longest Day to raise some much-needed funds for the Cancer Council. The Longest Day challenges golfers to complete four rounds of golf in one day (72 holes), to raise funds to help skin cancer research. At last count, Scott was well on his way to raising $2,000, smashing his target.

Tom Miller donned the lycra and completed the 87-kilometre long MS Sydney to Gong ride. Funds raised from the ride are used to support the work of MS research to fund vital support services to help make every day possible for those living with this horrible disease.

Kerfoot is also proud to get involved with Steptember – involving all our staff we all step it up for Cerebral Palsy, there is always some internal competition but the winner is raising money for this great cause!

Kerfoot donates $5,000 for one of our own

Every year in Australia 50 babies will be born with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). A disease that can cause tumours to grow on a baby’s brain and heart and later in life on kidneys, lungs and skin. It’s a disease that frequently causes severe epilepsy, autism and intellectual disabilities, and there is no cure.

Sadly, TSC affects one of our own. Ryan Groenwald, a valued member of the Kerfoot Mechanical Electrical team, has an awesome little boy Oskar who suffers from TSC. You can read about Oskar and his family here on the TSC Christmas Appeal page, and while you’re there you might like to consider making a donation.

We are heartbroken to see what this lovely family is going through, and it’s the least we can do to donate $5,000 to this appeal on behalf of the company.

Supporting the Drought Appeal and those impacted by the fire crisis

This festive season, Kerfoot will also be donating $1,000 to drought relief via the Country Women’s Association’s Disaster Relief Fund, in addition to $1,000 to charity supporting those impacted by the NSW fire crisis.