Hand Brake Turn
Can You Help?
There is so much more that we could and need to achieve through our advocacy for the poor and our proclamation of a better way of life.
As you partner with us, we look forward to what can be achieved in the future... thanks to your generosity!See our support us section for options about donating, volunteering or leaving a bequest.
HBT Geelong
Workshop
Most of the training is “hands on”, where the students have the opportunity to learn the basics of the trades in a fully functional workshop facility much like what they will experience once out in the workforce.
What sort of cars do we work on?
We have a constantly evolving array of vehicles here at Hand Brake Turn so students get to work on all types of vehicles from 60’s classics to the new millennium models.
A major sponsor of Hand Brake Turn Geelong is the Ford Motor Company. Ford has recently donated some AUII vehicles to be used for training purposes along with two new body shells. One of these body shells has recently been transformed into a finished vehicle by using the parts supplied by Ford and will now be used daily in the program.
Projects like this are fantastic as they provide an opportunity to work with modern vehicles and see a tangible result for the effort.
Ford is currently working with Hand Brake Turn to develop a mentoring component to the program which will link Ford employees to Hand Brake Turn participants and assist them in their endeavours to find work in the automotive industry.
Meet the Crew
- HBT Geelong Manager: Greg Mather
- Employment Placement Consultant: Ed Robertson
- Administrator: Denise McConachy
- Mechanic: Steve Gould
- Spray Painter: Darren Barclay
- Panel Beater: Paul Heyne
Testimonials
“I would never have got this job without Hand Brake Turn. I recommend the course to heaps of people.”
- Andrew McKee - Apprentice Motor Mechanic, Chris Kelly Automotive
“Hand Brake Turn got me off my bum and into the workforce. My life’s heaps different now. I can talk to people. I have basic skills like working in a team, working in a work environment.”- Leigh Winfield - Vehicle Dismantling and Parts Interpreter, Becks Motor Spares
“Hand Brake Turn changed my life!”- Drew Kowalkski - Traineeship in Exhaust Fitting and Repair, Exhaust Bros.
“Drew came with a bit of training which really helped. He got the job because of his enthusiasm and he’s pretty good at throwing himself in.”- Brendan (Drew's employer)
"Hand Brake Turn Helped me with the skills I needed to get this job, and the best thing was being in a real working environment while I was learning"- Ben Earley - Apprentice Panel Beater, Springs Panel Works
"Ben knew a lot of basic skills straight off and he came with a recommendation from Hand Brake Turn. If you put an ad in (the paper) you don't know who you are getting. Hand Brake Turn helped me find the right young person."- Peter (Ben's employer)
“Hand Brake Turn is fun and a good place to start. They changed my perspective heaps and knowing how to do more stuff gave me confidence."- John Nelson - Trainee Brake Mechanic, Auto Brake Service
“Hand Brake Turn saved us weeks of interviewing trying to find the right young person. They matched us up with John and it has worked out great!”- Brian (John's employer)
“I’d recommend it to anyone. You don’t realise how much you don’t know before you do it!”- Ben Jones - Apprentice Auto Electrician, AES Auto Electrics
Supporters
- Victoria Police
- Ford Motor Company
- Gordon Institute of TAFE
- K & H Surface Technologies
- 3M
- David Buck Plumbing
- Victorian Karting Association, in particular Geelong Kart Club
- Repco Autotech
- Automotive Software
- Australian Printer Reloading
- G-Force
- The Good Guys
- Air Radiators
- PPG
- Stanley Tools
- United Way
- Highton Rotary
- Freemasons Public Charitable Trust
- The Ross Divett Foundation
- Corio Community Church
- The Barrabool Foundation
Contact us
We always welcome interested young people, parents, schools, community groups, local business, government representatives and industry leaders to visit our centre to learn more about Concern Australia and the Hand Brake Turn program.
To learn more about HBT and the various ways it is turning young lives around and/or to arrange a visit, please contact us at:
Hand Brake Turn – Geelong
76 Furner Avenue, Geelong North VIC 3215
Ph: 03 5277 0108
Fax: 03 5277 0128
Email us: hbt.geelong@concernaustralia.org.au
