As twins, the Kemp brothers have done everything together, from restoring heritage tractors to now undertaking their apprenticeships side-by-side at Downer’s Maryborough rail factory.

Jackson and Harrison Kemp have spent their lives side-by-side. From attending the same schools, to working on their farm together, and now completing their apprenticeships together at Downer’s rail factory in Maryborough.

Jackson and Harrison Kemp

Having both graduated year 12 in 2021, they may be young, but they’ve known their career choices for a while.

For Jackson, it was completing the Duke of Edinburgh five years ago that he found his passion for welding. “As part of the Duke of Edinburgh you need to learn a skill. I thought I’d learn how to weld. Once I picked it up, I haven’t stopped! I really found my passion,” he said.

For Harrison he’s always known that exploring how things work was for him. “I’ve always been into the engineering side of things,” he said. “How things work, you pull them apart and look at how they work. I thought I would go to university to study engineering, but then this (apprenticeship) came along, I said no to university for now, and am instead enjoying my apprenticeship.”

Jackson who is undertaking a boilermaker apprenticeship and Harrison who is completing a Fitter and Turner apprenticeship are both loving it.

“I’m absolutely loving it!” Jackson said. “I’m learning lots and doing a lot more out of the gate than I expected to.”

While being relatively new to the site having started their apprenticeships in 2022, this isn’t their first time working with the team.

Harrison explained, “In Grade 10 we did work experience through our school. We were looking for a bigger company where the two of us could go to make it easier. We’re actually from Gayndah which is about a 90-minute drive from Maryborough. We always knew we wanted to do something together so we could live together, commute etc. The woman at the school set us up with work experience with Downer and we loved it! And we must have been ok, because the team here wanted us back. Last year, in year 12 they set up another week and gave us an opportunity to apply, so we did, and we got positions.”

“When we did our work experience,” Jackson continued, “so many people said we’d be getting coffee or sweeping, but it was nothing like that! They knew I could do a bit, so they gave me a test to see what I could do. Someone was always watching, but they sent me off with a welding helmet and a grinder and I got to work immediately.”

Harrison had a similar experience. “From day 1, it’s been ‘what can you do? Can you do this? Give this a try’ Someone always has their eye on you. But if you think you can do it, you go and do it. It’s been great to be so hands on.”

What has helped them get a handle on their trades so early is their home life. Growing up in Gayndah they describe themselves as ‘farm boys’ and together have plans to rebuild 10 heritage tractors to take to shows.

“We did come in with a little bit of prior knowledge. We’ve restored and fully rebuilt five of the tractors so far and have them at show quality,” Jackson said.

 The Kemp twins form part of our 20 new apprentices at Downer’s Maryborough rail factory who commenced in 2022.