IT could be argued Moora heavy plant mechanic third-year apprentice Cameron Lennox had inadvertently chosen his career pathway at an early age.
Early memories of his farming grandfather and uncle and relatives throughout the district always gravitated to farm workshops and an almost obsession with tinkering with machinery.
He believes he is firmly set on a career in a farm mechanisation industry that offers a multiple of opportunities in a rapidly-changing technological age.
It was re-enforced when he was awarded a bronze medal in heavy vehicle mechanics at the 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Melbourne, after last year winning the State title-equivalent representing Cunninghams Ag Service,
The WorldSkills Australia National Competition hosts more than 500 of Australia's best trainees and apprentices in a three-day competition, testing trade and skill technicians across 60 categories.
Despite working primarily on Case IH farm machinery at Cunninghams, Cameron was able to transfer the skills he learnt from his apprenticeship across to unfamiliar truck engines and successfully diagnosed all faults presented to him.
He said the competition was a challenging, but hugely beneficial experience.
"The competition was a massive eye opener, not only due to the size but also the atmosphere and level of competition," he said.
"All of the other competitors had specialised in truck mechanics and had already completed dual trades in mechanics and auto electrics."
The event was the culmination of months of training for Cameron, who spent a combined total of 18 hours being tested on his ability to troubleshoot across six categories including hydraulics, electric diagnostics and engine tune up and diagnostics.
Because the competition is for mechanics under 25 years, Cameron wants to "have another crack".
"I'll still be eligible and I want to go for gold," he said.
Cameron is also completing a Certificate IV and Diploma in Engineering with support from Cunninghams and hopes to enrol in a mechanical engineering degree within the next five years.
The 20-year-old started at Cunningham after completing Year 12 and the TEE at the Central Districts High School, mixed with work experience at Cunninghams.
It was a seamless transition from the school classroom to the service and repair "classroom" at Cunninghams and his passion and enthusiasm were evident from the start.
"I always leant towards automotive in high school and with a few mates got involved in motocross bike riding," he said.
"I still race competitively in the 600cc class and it is something of a passion for me outside of work."
He is also part of a race team working on sprint cars run by his service manager Tim King.
For Cameron, his choice of a career in agriculture was triggered by being true to himself.
"At (Thornlie) TAFE you could see a lot of students were there motivated by how much money they could make in various jobs," he said.
"But I think you discover what you're passionate about, give it 110 per cent and you can't go wrong.
"One of the side benefits of working in agriculture is developing strong relationships not only with your workmates but also with customers.
"We often just help them out if a problem arises because if you're broken down you're work day effectively stops, and helping out builds relationships."
It is becoming more common these days for farmers to be asking for solutions to "tweaking" machines or solving "glitches" in computers and it is in this area that Cameron sees a more professional approach by machinery dealerships.
"Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and you've got to be on your toes," he said.
"Today we've got technology that provides cost efficiencies in so many areas so our job in the workshop can be more accurately described as a jack-of-all-trades.
"You've got to be just as strong in electronics as mechanics and probably 40 per cent of my work is involved in electronics these days.
"What is happening in agriculture puts us 20 years ahead of what is happening in the construction industry and it's a big eye-opener for a lot of people to discover that agriculture is leading the world in this technology."
Cunninghams Ag Service dealer principal Brett Young said the company was extremely proud of Cameron's bronze medal success and the achievements he has made during his apprenticeship.
"This is a remarkable achievement for a young apprentice from the small country town of Moora," he said.
"Cameron has demonstrated a real commitment to training and motivation to compete with the best in the industry.
"We congratulate Cameron on his outstanding success and believe he has an excellent career ahead of him.
"It has also been a great result for Tim King to have Cameron win this award.
"Tim, with his dedication, has always set very high standards for his fellow mechanics."
Cameron acknowledged Tim as playing an instrumental role in his training, along with the support from the whole Cunninghams Ag Service family and Case IH.
"The boys in the workshop have been great to me. I provide the passion, while they provide the knowledge," he said with a wink.