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Born and raised in London, Andre McLaughlin may have found his calling halfway across the globe in Brisbane, working as the Industry Engagement Manager at Blue Dog Training.

Having relocated to Australia ten years ago, Andre had been a bit apprehensive about the move in the beginning. He explained that he even told his girlfriend at the time, who was an Aussie he’d met in London, “If I move to Australia I’ll end up dying. Have you seen that movie Crocodile Dundee. . ? There’s sharks, snakes, spiders, drop bears, I hear they’re very dangerous and they can kill you.”

But after spending a month on the Gold Coast, the Londoner soon decided that engaging in a battle with the famed drop bears was well worth the risk, and came to the Land Down Under on a Working Holiday Visa.

From that moment on, Andre spent a long time trying to find a position that he felt completely encompassed his personality and his career goals, yearning to have a true sense of fulfilment. That’s not to say that he didn’t enjoy the journey.

During his first year in Australia, he was required to complete 88 days of fruit picking in order to extend his visa. Andre said, “I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s really hard work, but I did enjoy the experience. I got to meet people from all over the world.”

After completing his 88 days, Andre went on to work for Coronis, a Real Estate company, and then climbed the corporate ladder working for bigger corporations such as Vodafone, where he won an annual sales award for being one of Australia’s top corporate sales people, and a trip to NZ. Moving onto AAPT as an Account Manager, Andre was trusted to look after some of the biggest businesses within Australia such as; GHD Engineering, Ray White, ST John’s Ambulance, National Heart Foundation, Apple Marketing, Wenatex and Foxtel. Due to the merging of AAPT and TPG, it was at this point that Andre decided to take seven months off work and do some traveling. His trip to Thailand reinvigorated the travel bug in him, and he quickly planned his next trip to Bali with his best friend. While he was there, he met his current partner of four years. 

When he returned from Bali, Andre decided to delve back into the workforce and commenced working in recruitment. While he was working for Michael Page, a British recruitment company, he became acquainted with Blue Dog Training, who quickly became his client.

When he contacted Blue Dog Training for a reference for his LinkedIn profile, he was informed of an opportunity that would soon come to fruition for an Industry Engagement Manager. He met with Kristine Skippington and Deborah Walker for lunch and, as they say, the rest is history.

“What I love in my role is that I have a freedom to make a difference. The strategies that I’ve learnt from my time in recruitment can be implemented here. I love that I can genuinely help our students and have fun doing it, there is so much room for growth and development,” Andre said.

A large aspect of Andre’s role is introducing employers to Blue Dog’s preeminent student apprentices in the hopes that the students can begin a School-based apprenticeship within a real work environment.

His role also allows him to help high school students develop their soft skills in; resume writing, interview tips, building relationships, improving confidence and getting job ready. He does his best to prepare them for work trials and job interviews by coaching them and giving them the advice they need to succeed.

When asked what he wants his students to achieve, Andre said, “We want them to be resilient and understand that life is not easy, so they are going to encounter setbacks. I want them to truly believe in themselves, choose their path in life, and just go for it!”

In the Blue Dog Training office, Andre is known for being an upbeat and positive influence on all staff members, ready to make anyone smile.

Watch the video below to learn more about Andre’s position as Industry Engagement Manager at Blue Dog Training!

Check out our VET in Schools page for more information about Blue Dog Training’s Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) programs.