Young Veterans at Redland

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“Young Veterans at Redland” is the vision of Adrian Aiple who was inspired to start this new initiative after a mate he served with in Iraq started a similar program in Victoria.

VETERANS GETTING QUALIFIED

Young Veterans at Redland plans to support veterans aged between 20-60, and Adrian is providing an outlet for them to get out and about and do some hands-on at his body shop Boss Customs in Redland Bay. Boss Customs can do full restorations, engine conversions, body work, in fact whatever the customer requires. Their motto is “Bringing today’s automotive technology into yesterday’s vehicles.”
Adrian is completing his Qualification, Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology through Work Skills.  He was enticed by the idea of completing his apprenticeship entirely within the workplace, as he did not like the idea of attending a TAFE organisation to complete it.  Adrian is hoping that his story will reach other Veterans, that they will seek to become a part of their group and potentially complete some form of automotive qualification at Boss Customs while doing so.  Right now, he’s looking at building more infrastructure around Boss Customs, to further accommodate their growing group of Veterans.

A RETURN TO CIVILIAN LIFE

“Veterans face a lot of difficulties when trying to adjust back into civilian life,” said Padraic O’Donnell, one of the Veterans alongside Adrian.  Padraic was medically discharged from the navy with PTSD and has struggled to find a support mechanism that understands the challenges he is faced with in day to day life.  “Comradery is probably the biggest thing,” Padraic explained. “I was the only one in the world as far as I knew and yet, I met with these guys and realised we were all going through the same thing.”
The Young Veterans Group gives these individuals something to look forward to in life.  It allows them to not only socialise but also work purposefully together on custom automotive projects.  “Basically, it’s a bunch of military mates helping military mates, with common knowledge, experiences and goals,” said Jacob Cordie, another veteran working within the group.  “We know other veterans feel down because we have felt down too, but now we’re part way back up and can give others a hand in the same way because of what we’ve experienced. No one has to go it alone.”
You can contact Adrian on 0421 206 963 or check them out on Facebook.