Amy Murray originally became a self-taught mechanic so she could fix her unreliable car and make it to her shifts at a Woolworths supermarket to provide for her two sons.

Last week, the Brisbane-based trailblazer was one of the foundation cohort of 11 apprentices who officially graduated from Woolworths Group’s four-year refrigeration apprenticeship program at a celebration at the Norwest Support Offices in Sydney.

Along with nine other graduates, Amy has accepted a full-time role with Woolworths Group, and is proud to be a role model for her boys as well as other women interested in pursuing trade careers and non-traditional career paths. 

“I first started working in a Woolworths supermarket to pay the rent and feed my kids,” says Amy, who took out Apprentice of the Year and CSQ Outstanding Apprentice of the Year at the recent TAFE Queensland Awards.

 “Now, I have finished a refrigeration apprenticeship and have not just a job but a career. I have never had a career until now. Life is good!”

While she excels in her highly specialised field, Amy’s interest in mechanics and the motion of objects was originally born out of necessity rather than passion. 

A single mother to Elias, 16, and Cruz, 12, Amy had to learn how to fix her own car several years ago so she could make it to her shifts at Woolworths Banyo in northern Brisbane to support her sons.

“When I first started working for Woolworths, I couldn't actually afford a mechanic so I taught myself how to fix my car and buy the parts wholesale,” she says. “It was either that or I wasn't going to get to work. But it was cool learning how things work, and taking them apart and putting them back together.”

Having worked across several instore roles for five years, including acting night fill manager and acting grocery manager, Amy was looking for new challenges when she came across Woolworths Group’s new apprenticeship program.

Launched by Woolworths360 (W360) in 2020, the inaugural program was an opportunity to address the industry-wide skills shortage, introduce industry-leading technological solutions to reach our energy and environmental sustainability goals and to increase diversity and inclusion in the refrigeration industry.

“I originally wanted to be a car mechanic but when the fridge mechanic opportunity came up, I was like, ‘It literally can't be that different from a car.’ It is really different!” she says. “So I just applied for it.”

“I used to talk a lot to my store technician – who is actually now in my team – and when I told him I went for the apprenticeship, I had his full support.

“It was a four-month process but I got it. I couldn’t believe it.”

Completing the highly technical apprenticeship, as well as maths and physics studies at TAFE, was no mean feat, especially with two young boys to care for. But Amy was determined to carve out a new career for herself in the Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Industry. 

With the support of ‘apprentice mum’ Caroline Fitzgerald, Apprenticeship Program Manager for Woolworths 360 at Woolworths Group, and her male team members, Amy says she felt a strong sense of belonging throughout her entire four-year journey.

“My team are the best bunch of guys, they really are,” she says. “Every single one of them has just been incredible.

“I didn't want to go into this with any special treatment because I was a mum or because I was a female. I wanted to be able to have a go at what they do, and if I couldn't do it, try to figure out a way to get around it. 

“They’ve been really supportive throughout this whole apprenticeship. I owe a lot of my success to them. I don't think a lot of females in my position in a male-dominated industry could probably say that about their entire team but it’s true.”

Caroline says Amy’s success lies in her unwavering dedication to learn and develop her technical skills, as well as her demonstrated grit and commitment to being the best tradesperson she can be.  

“Amy has grown significantly in confidence to push herself out of her comfort zones frequently, tackling all tasks and the logistics of being a single mum to thrive in her apprenticeship,” says Caroline.

A multi-award winning and nominated program for diversity and inclusion, 35 per cent of Woolworths Group’s refrigeration apprentices across Australia identify as female compared to a national average of just one per cent.

Caroline says Amy’s passion to represent and inspire other women to pursue a trade makes her a valuable asset to the industry.

“We are confident that now that Amy has qualified and has a permanent position as a Refrigeration Technician at Woolworths Group, where she services and maintains a number of supermarkets in Brisbane, that she will mentor and teach other women to follow in her footsteps,” says Caroline.

“We see Amy as a true asset to Woolworths Group and the refrigeration industry.”