The John Andrew Apprentice of the Year Competition recognises excellence among Australian and New Zealand locksmith apprentices. It also acknowledges the important relationship between an apprentice and their mentor, whose support is a key part of apprentices’ entry to the award.
The winner of the competition, and their mentor, receive a fully-funded trip to Europe to visit the Silca factory in Italy and the ABUS factory in Germany, both world-class manufacturing facilities. This is, without doubt, the best prize in locksmithing anywhere in the world.
The award is run by the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia (MLAA) and generously supported by sponsors LSC, Silca and ABUS.
It honours the memory of the late John Andrew, who was the MLAA’s inaugural Life Member and a winner of the AL Chantry Memorial Award for the Pursuit of Excellence.
The competition tests a range of locksmithing skills, including:
Applicants are tested on these skills in person at the premises of K.J.Ross Security Locks in Knoxfield, Victoria. The MLAA covers the cost of airfares, accommodation, transfers and meals for finalists and their mentors.
All eligible locksmith apprentices across Australia and New Zealand are encouraged to apply.
Entries for the John Andrew Apprentice of the Year Competition for 2022 will open mid-year.
“It’s a real honour to win the award. The testing was actually really fun, and it was great networking with the other contestants. I think we all came out of the weekend really good mates.
I would 100% encourage apprentices to apply for the competition in future. It really opens your eyes to the industry, gives you a chance to see what other locksmiths are doing, and build on your ideas for the future.”
David Cowley
Precision Locksmiths
2020/21 John Andrew Apprentice of the Year
Pictured: David Cowley (right) receiving his award with mentor Walter Mioch.
“I found the John Andrew Apprentice of the Year Competition to be a great opportunity for me to meet fellow locksmiths from all over Australia and to not only compete against them but network with them. It was an awesome experience to participate in the test at the KJ Ross factory and to have the honour of getting shown how the Ross locks are manufactured. Everyone was friendly and it was very easy going. It was a chance to get to show off the skills that I had gained, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about entering to give it a crack.”
Jesse Shepherd
Valley Locksmiths
2019 John Andrew Apprentice of the Year
Pictured: 2019 John Andrew Apprentice of the Year Jesse Shepherd (left) with his mentor Matt Ellis (right).
Year | Apprentice of the Year | Branch | Employer |
2000 | Chris Verbolle | VIC | Stewarts Security Specialists |
2001 | David Overend | NZ | James Bull & Co |
2002 | Eric Yorsten | NZ | Armstrong Locksmiths |
2003 | Nathan de Rooy | NSW | Brian Preddey Locksmiths |
2004 | Andrew Worsfold | QLD | Northside Locksmiths |
2005 | James Methven | VIC | Echuca Locksmiths |
2006 | Shane Cook | VIC | Echuca Locksmiths |
2007 | Bradley Wheeler | VIC | East Gippsland Keys & Locks |
2008 | Adam Burling | WA | SAS Locksmithing Services |
2009 | Robert Jeges | VIC | API Security – Moorabbin |
2010 | Kyle Bevans | VIC | Bendigo Locksmiths |
2011 | Nicole Bornis | QLD | Ruswin |
2012 | David Monahu | VIC | Omega Corporate Security |
2013 | Daniel Kolosi | VIC | Corporate Locksmiths |
2014 | Nicholas Smith | QLD | Keycut Services Pty Ltd |