Following in his footsteps: the father-son duo keeping buses moving in Tasmania’s north

• Brett and Sam are a father and son duo manning the workshop at Kinetic’s Wesley Vale depot in north Tasmania
• Joining Kinetic as a third-year apprentice, Sam influenced his father Brett to make the move and become the Workshop Leading Hand
• Kinetic is recruiting for its latest apprentice intake now, with successful applicants starting in January 2025

It’s not every day a son convinces his father to come and work with him, but that’s how it happened for Brett and Sam Fenton.

The father and son team have brought their shared passion for mechanics to Kinetic’s Wesley Vale depot in north Tasmania. Brett joined Kinetic as the Workshop Leading Hand after hearing about Sam’s positive experiences as a third-year apprentice mechanic.

Sam was just a few months into his time with Kinetic when he started encouraging his father to join the company too. For Sam, the work was great, but the people and environment made the difference.

“The biggest thing I’d tell him about was the team, everyone is great to be around,” Sam said.

“We’re well-equipped as well, compared to other workshops I’ve worked in previously. The tools, the safety, the procedures – everything you need is there.”

Brett, who was looking for a change, was drawn to the idea.

“I was really craving a good team atmosphere, and everyone here has been great. It’s a people-oriented culture,” Brett said. 

As Sam reflects on his journey to becoming a mechanic, he remembers the early influence his father had on him.

“There would be days I was supposed to go to childcare, but dad would forget that I was in the car and I’d end up going to work with him instead,” Sam said.

“I’d spend the day looking at some smashed up trucks and on the weekend I’d hang out in the truck yard at dad’s old workplace.” 

Now together they work in one of the biggest workshops in Kinetic’s Tasmanian operations, responsible for a fleet of 92 vehicles delivering transport services in the state’s north-west. 

“There’s a good variety of things to do, and always new ways of figuring out how to look after the vehicles. You’re always going to learn something, especially as we get a bigger electric fleet,” Sam said.

For Brett, it’s fascinating to see the differences in how apprentices are trained today compared to when he was starting out. 

“The younger generation move a lot more rapidly than we did when I was an apprentice,” he said. 

“They’re thrown into the deep-end and they certainly learn a lot more rapidly. As an apprentice I remember sweeping floors, picking up cigarette butts instead of being exposed to problem solving and being challenged like apprentices are today.”

Kinetic is now recruiting for its latest intake of apprentices, with successful applicants joining teams in Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland in January 2025.

To learn more about the Kinetic Apprentice Program and become an apprentice like Sam, visit www.wearekinetic.com/apprentice-program.

Applications are open until Sunday 3 November. 

Further enquiries

Emmanuelle Brizuela
Specialist - Communications
0460 615 604
emmanuelle.brizuela@wearekinetic.com