Kyle Milner
In 2022, SuniTAFE electrical apprentice Kyle Milner made the decision to leave university in Melbourne, move back to Mildura, and pursue an electrical apprenticeship.
In 2022, SuniTAFE electrical apprentice Kyle Milner made the decision to leave university in Melbourne, move back to Mildura, and pursue an electrical apprenticeship.
Now nearing the end of his course, this turned out to be one of the best decisions he could’ve made, leading him to a challenging and rewarding career.
“I was a year into my master’s degree, and I remember distinctly sitting in a lab talking with some of my friends when I just made the decision that I needed a break,” Kyle said.
“So, in my fourth year of university, I took a leave of absence and returned to Mildura where I heard about this apprenticeship opportunity at Sunbeam Foods.
“I was able to speak with my now mentor John to talk about the types of work that they do at Sunbeam, and I felt that it closely aligned with what I was doing at university, particularly in the area of automation, so I could still use the work I did at university.
“It was a big decision, and a lot of thought did go into it before I actually made the decision to leave, but looking back on it now, it was all worth it.”
When comparing the learning environments of TAFE and university, Kyle reflects that TAFE has many qualities that supported him to develop his skills.
“Something that I really like at TAFE is that the practical stuff we do is directly relevant to what I’m doing at work,” he said.
“As I’m learning new content at TAFE, I may not utilise it straight away at work, but eventually, most of the topics I’ve covered here at SuniTAFE I’ve also come across at work.
“Oftentimes at uni, it can be very heavily theoretical, and it can be harder to draw parallels with the real world and how things are really done in the industry.
“Having teachers who have industry experience has also been a great benefit. All of my teachers have been electricians, and it’s been a really valuable thing to have someone teaching you who understands your perspective as an apprentice.”
Kyle has been recognised on more than one occasion for his hard work and dedication to his learning, winning Outstanding Apprentice Awards at two consecutive SuniTAFE Trades Night events.
“I really appreciated the award wins because they are recognition of the hard work that I put in, because when I started my time at TAFE I really wanted to work hard,” he said.
“I made an effort to really try my best with my classwork but to also help other students as well with topics that I knew because I’d covered them at uni.”
As someone who has tried both university and TAFE, Kyle’s advice to young people choosing their next step is to simply be open to options.
“I’d encourage everyone to avoid confining themselves to choosing a path because you think that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he said.
“For a long time, I felt like my identity was wrapped up in becoming an engineer and that was the hardest thing to deal with when I left uni.
“I had done all of this hard work, I did really well in my VCE and then was doing reasonably well at uni and I thought, ‘if I leave this, does this change who I am as a person?’
“But it didn’t change me, and I encourage anyone in a similar position to just be open and willing to look into every field and when you need to make a change, just make the decision and you’ll be better for it.”
Not sure yet what your next career move will be? Starting an apprenticeship at SuniTAFE could be the best decision you make. Click here to read more about apprenticeships at SuniTAFE.
Apprentices at SuniTAFE are known for their high skill level and dedication to mastering their trade. Click here to read about Nathaniel Allford, a carpentry student named within the top three apprentices in all of Victoria for 2025.
Now nearing the end of his course, this turned out to be one of the best decisions he could’ve made, leading him to a challenging and rewarding career.
“I was a year into my master’s degree, and I remember distinctly sitting in a lab talking with some of my friends when I just made the decision that I needed a break,” Kyle said.
“So, in my fourth year of university, I took a leave of absence and returned to Mildura where I heard about this apprenticeship opportunity at Sunbeam Foods.
“I was able to speak with my now mentor John to talk about the types of work that they do at Sunbeam, and I felt that it closely aligned with what I was doing at university, particularly in the area of automation, so I could still use the work I did at university.
“It was a big decision, and a lot of thought did go into it before I actually made the decision to leave, but looking back on it now, it was all worth it.”
When comparing the learning environments of TAFE and university, Kyle reflects that TAFE has many qualities that supported him to develop his skills.
“Something that I really like at TAFE is that the practical stuff we do is directly relevant to what I’m doing at work,” he said.
“As I’m learning new content at TAFE, I may not utilise it straight away at work, but eventually, most of the topics I’ve covered here at SuniTAFE I’ve also come across at work.
“Oftentimes at uni, it can be very heavily theoretical, and it can be harder to draw parallels with the real world and how things are really done in the industry.
“Having teachers who have industry experience has also been a great benefit. All of my teachers have been electricians, and it’s been a really valuable thing to have someone teaching you who understands your perspective as an apprentice.”
Kyle has been recognised on more than one occasion for his hard work and dedication to his learning, winning Outstanding Apprentice Awards at two consecutive SuniTAFE Trades Night events.
“I really appreciated the award wins because they are recognition of the hard work that I put in, because when I started my time at TAFE I really wanted to work hard,” he said.
“I made an effort to really try my best with my classwork but to also help other students as well with topics that I knew because I’d covered them at uni.”
As someone who has tried both university and TAFE, Kyle’s advice to young people choosing their next step is to simply be open to options.
“I’d encourage everyone to avoid confining themselves to choosing a path because you think that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he said.
“For a long time, I felt like my identity was wrapped up in becoming an engineer and that was the hardest thing to deal with when I left uni.
“I had done all of this hard work, I did really well in my VCE and then was doing reasonably well at uni and I thought, ‘if I leave this, does this change who I am as a person?’
“But it didn’t change me, and I encourage anyone in a similar position to just be open and willing to look into every field and when you need to make a change, just make the decision and you’ll be better for it.”
Not sure yet what your next career move will be? Starting an apprenticeship at SuniTAFE could be the best decision you make. Click here to read more about apprenticeships at SuniTAFE.
Apprentices at SuniTAFE are known for their high skill level and dedication to mastering their trade. Click here to read about Nathaniel Allford, a carpentry student named within the top three apprentices in all of Victoria for 2025.