Tumbarumba’s Brian Graham celebrates a lifelong dream, becoming an electrician at 60. Photo: Snowy Hydro.
At an age when many people are thinking about retirement, Tumbarumba’s Brian Graham has just qualified as an electrician.
Now 60, yes, he’s found a new spark in life, boosting the ranks on the Snowy 2.0 renewable energy project.
A man who lives by the adage, “You’re never too old to learn something new,” Brian says reaching the milestone after six decades, he didn’t see any obstacles ahead – only opportunity.
“There was only the possibility that other people’s bias might hold me back. Anything you want, you’ve got to work for it,” he said.
Brian’s path to the Snowy Mountains has been anything but straightforward.
He grew up in Scotland’s central lowlands before moving to Australia in 1988, where he worked in car manufacturing in Adelaide and boat building in Queensland.
The idea of becoming an electrician had always been in the back of his mind, but it was a chance conversation back over the other side of the world that got him really thinking.
“When I was in Edinburgh, I met an elderly gentleman in his 80s and when he found out I had been living in Australia, he started telling me he had worked on the original Snowy Scheme as an electrical engineer and he was so proud of it,” he said. “It was something he really held onto.”
Brian said he was so inspired, he dug a little deeper and now finds himself working alongside 50 apprentices and trainees – all of them from a wide range of ages and backgrounds – training in electrical, mechanical, plumbing and surveying trades on site at Snowy 2.0.
“Having the opportunity to do an apprenticeship at 60 was absolutely amazing … becoming an electrician is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
“Especially at my age, it makes you feel really proud to be able to pull something like that off.”
Brian may have started his apprenticeship at 60, but he’s far from alone in learning new skills on Australia’s largest hydroelectric expansion since the original Snowy Mountains Scheme in 1974.
A pilot program at Monaro High School is giving Year 10 students a head start on trades careers, combining classroom learning, TAFE and hands-on work at the Polo Flat Segment Factory.
The program, introduced in 2020, proved so popular it attracted 28 applications for an initial 10 positions.
It quickly expanded from 10 to 17 spots, with students completing around 100 days of real-world experience alongside crane operators, electricians and mechanical crews.
Like Brian, these students are discovering the pride of contributing to a major project.
Snowy 2.0 also runs Indigenous training and pre-employment programs in regional towns, helping local Aboriginal people gain skills and pathways into trades.
“It’s an iconic project and a legacy we’ll leave for generations to come,” Brian said.
“Working with the young people keeps you alive and young – there’s a bit of competition to keep up with them, and it keeps you on your toes.”
Outside of work, Brian and his wife Judy keep busy on their two-acre property with renovations, chooks, a vegetable garden and beekeeping – not to mention five grandchildren.
