Bowhill Wins National Small Employer Of The Year At Australian Training Awards

Bowhill Engineering has been awarded the Small Employer of the Year at the 2025 Australian Training Awards in Darwin on Friday, 5th December 2025.

As a regional South Australian structural steel fabrication company, we earned this honour for our long-term commitment to skills development, regional workforce growth, and our “Grow Our Own” philosophy. This national recognition represents more than just an industry accolade. It’s proof that regional businesses can lead the nation in workforce development and training excellence.

Our purpose is Together We Thrive, and this recognition reflects the power of a small regional business investing deeply in its people and its community. This award confirms that when you invest in people, entire communities benefit. For us, Together We Thrive isn’t a slogan, it’s the way we build our future. It guides every decision we make about apprenticeships, training, workplace culture, and how we support our team’s growth.

Our strategy has always been to “Grow Our Own.” By developing local talent, we’re strengthening both our business and the region we care so deeply about. This isn’t just a good business practice but it’s our commitment to building a sustainable skills pipeline for regional South Australia.

Currently, we support 15 apprentices in training across metal fabrication, boilermaking, and welding. These apprentices work alongside experienced tradespeople on real boilermaker projects and structural steel fabrication work, gaining hands-on experience on major infrastructure, including our current $32 million Torrens to Darlington Project.

But the impact goes beyond current apprentices. More than 44 apprentices and trainees have already completed their journey with us. Many of these graduates now hold key leadership, technical specialist, and supervisory roles within Bowhill Engineering, a proof that our investment in people creates lasting career pathways.

We have also been recognised for investment in innovation, including robotic welding, advanced CNC machining, leadership development programs, and workplace wellbeing initiatives. Innovation at Bowhill Engineering doesn’t stop at technology, it’s also about creating the right environment for people to learn, lead, and thrive.

We’ve invested heavily in advanced manufacturing technology. Our robotic welding systems, CNC machining capabilities, and B5 workshop represent millions of dollars in equipment. But technology alone doesn’t win national training awards.

What sets us apart is how we combine advanced manufacturing with genuine investment in people –

Our apprentices don’t just learn on the job. They receive structured training that combines hands-on experience with formal qualifications. We work closely with registered training organisations to ensure our apprentices gain both practical skills and industry-recognised certifications.

We’ve established leadership development programmes that grow our next generation of leaders. Apprentices who show potential are given opportunities to take on more responsibility, mentor newer apprentices, and develop management skills alongside their technical abilities.

Our staff programme focuses on wellbeing and team development sessions. We understand that supporting our people’s mental health and wellbeing is just as important as technical training.

We’ve created clear career advancement opportunities with workforce development plans that show apprentices exactly how they can progress from entry-level positions to senior fabricator roles, supervisory positions, and beyond.

This recognition proves that world-class skills, training, and excellence don’t just live in the cities. Regional South Australia is capable of extraordinary things. For too long, regional areas have been seen as places that young people leave to find opportunities. We’re proving the opposite that you can build a world-class career in structural steel engineering, metal fabrication, and advanced manufacturing without leaving the Murraylands.

Our apprentices work on nationally significant infrastructure projects involving heavy steel fabrication and complex structural steel projects. They operate cutting-edge technology. They earn competitive wages. And they do it all while living in regional communities with strong connections, lower cost of living, and genuine work-life balance.

This award gives us confidence that our long-term approach to developing people is working. It motivates us to keep creating opportunities, especially for young people in our region.

But this is just the start. Winning Small Employer of the Year nationally isn’t a destination, it’s confirmation that we’re on the right path and need to keep going.

As our project pipeline grows, so does our capacity to take on more apprentices. We’ll continue recruiting young people who want to learn metal fabrication, boilermaking and welding, and structural steel engineering in a supportive environment.

We work with local schools to provide engineering work experience placements, helping students understand what careers in manufacturing and engineering actually involve. We’ll be expanding these partnerships to reach more young people earlier in their education.

Not all our apprentices are school leavers. We also support adult apprenticeships for people making career changes, offering pathways into skilled trades for those ready for a new direction.

We’ll keep investing in both technology and people because the two go hand in hand. New robotic welding systems create opportunities for robotics operators. Advanced CNC machinery requires skilled programmers. Every technology investment creates new training opportunities.

This award is not just a milestone for Bowhill Engineering; it’s a celebration of what can be achieved when opportunity meets commitment.

You’ve taken the opportunity we offered and turned it into careers that make us proud. Your dedication, hard work, and willingness to learn is what makes this award meaningful.

You’ve mentored, trained, and supported every apprentice who’s come through our doors. Your patience, expertise, and commitment to passing on your skills is invaluable.

You’ve trusted us with complex projects that give our apprentices exposure to real-world challenges and industry-leading work. Projects like the Torrens to Darlington contract provide learning opportunities that classroom training simply can’t match.

The registered training organisations, VET sector, and government programmes that support apprenticeships are essential partners in building South Australia’s skilled workforce.

The Murraylands, Murray Bridge, Mannum, and surrounding areas provide the foundation that makes our business possible. When regional communities thrive, so do regional businesses.

If you’re considering an engineering apprenticeship, looking at boilermaker apprenticeship opportunities, or exploring metal fabrication apprenticeship pathways, Bowhill Engineering offers nationally recognised training in an award-winning environment.

We’re actively recruiting for

• Engineering apprentices in metal fabrication
• Boilermaker apprenticeship positions
• Experienced metal fabricators and fabricator welders

This is your opportunity to join a team that’s been recognised nationally for training excellence, working on major infrastructure projects, and building careers that last. Visit our website to explore apprenticeship and career opportunities.