Born and raised in South Africa, Ruan immigrated to Australia with his family in 2008. Growing up, family holidays were often spent camping or heading off on 4WD adventures, which sparked his love of the outdoors and hands-on work from an early age.

Getting to know Ruan

"Since moving to Australia, we've still done plenty of camping and really enjoy everything this country has to offer," Ruan said.

Ruan has spent more than a decade working across a variety of trades, with electrical and mechanical roles standing out as his favourites.

Away from work, Ruan has plenty to celebrate, with he and his wife marking their 10-year wedding anniversary this November. Adding to the excitement, the couple are also expecting their first baby around the same time.

Joining FWSR Group

Ruan joined FWSR Group after a mate from a previous workplace pointed him towards a job advertisement.

"He knew I'd been looking for a role where I'd get more exposure to electrical systems, so when he saw the position advertised, he sent it through."

Since joining the Melbourne team, Ruan says the support and culture have made a real impression.

"Right off the bat, the whole team was very welcoming and supportive. As an apprentice, I've been lucky to work alongside tradesmen like Rod and Pete, who have gone above and beyond teaching me about fire systems - as well as putting up with my relentless questions," he laughed.

"The office team has also been fantastic, whether it's helping with tricky compliance questions or simply having a chat. Given how busy our industry is, it's great when management and the Project Managers take the time to check in and see how things are going."

Apprentice life

Balancing work and study hasn't been too difficult for Ruan, thanks - in part - to a passionate TAFE teacher and the support of those around him.

"I've found it really helpful talking to apprentices from other industries and seeing just how broad the electrical field is."

One of the biggest surprises for Ruan has been discovering just how many specialist areas exist within the industry.

"When I started, I thought electrical work mainly consisted of residential, commercial and solar. Since then, I've been blown away by how many industries and technologies tie into what we do."

A day in the life

No two days are the same for Ruan in his role as a Service Technician and Electrical Apprentice.

"One day you might be carrying out routine testing across a number of schools and the next you're at an industrial site fault finding or completing installations," he said.

The variety is one of the things Ruan enjoys most about the role, particularly when it comes to fault finding and understanding how systems operate.

"We work on a wide range of systems, but some of the most common are Ampac, Notifier and Pertronic."

Ruan says many people would be surprised by just how much modern fire systems control.

"Some systems are quite simple, while others can integrate with air handling systems, security doors and alarms, smoke control systems and even EV charging infrastructure."

Looking ahead
For anyone considering a career in the industry, Ruan's advice is simple:

"Ask lots of questions and get to know the people you're working with. I've found everyone in our team willing to go out of their way to help and share their knowledge."

Quick fire questions
Best site you've worked at?
One of our educational facilities in Geelong. It has a range of different TYCO panels and it's been really interesting seeing how Rod has managed to get everything working together so well.

Favourite tool in the toolbox?
My mini air blower - it's a lifesaver!

Early start or late finish?
Early start (I think!).

If you could spend a day working in any other role across the business, what would it be and why?
I'd probably spend a day as an RTO Trainer because I enjoy learning and sharing knowledge with others.