Hands-on help gets young sparkies up to scratch

Today in our Celebrating Australian Made series, we learn about Infinispark, which helps apprentice electricians learn their trade. Nicholas Way spoke to founder Husnen Rupani about how he saw a gap in the market for practical training gear.

From an electrical trades teacher to running a thriving business that manufactures the equipment that ensures the electricians of tomorrow are getting the necessary hands-on training they need today – that’s the career path that defines Husnen “Hus” Rupani.

“I spent more than ten years teaching electrical apprentices,” he says.

“Over this period, I came to realise that it was ‘theory heavy’ with insufficient time given to practical training. Not only did the apprentices suffer, but it exposed the training organisations to the risk of being non-compliant and losing their registration.

“To me, it was a gap in the market, one that my experience and knowledge allowed me to fill. So, from humble beginnings in my garage with just one staff, we began making this electrical training equipment in 2017 under the hands-on training Infinispark banner.”

From the outset, Rupani, who is still actively involved in the business as CEO, knew he would have to pick his targets, with apprentices and their teachers not in the financial position to buy the equipment.

“We identified managers of TAFEs, other schools where they do electrical training, mining, rail, and defence contractors, anyone who oversaw a training program and appreciated the importance of hands-on training and being compliant,” he explains.

“We focussed on making equipment that would be not only compliant but also time-saving and engaging. In this way we have been able to service the entire electrical training industry with products such as the Electromag Pracbox, the AC Pracbox and the Motor Faults Pracbox for clients ranging from RMIT University to the Department of Defence, the Box Hill Institute, TAFE NSW, BHP and Rio Tinto.”

Over the past seven years, the business has long outgrown the garage with a factory at Keysborough in Melbourne’s east now employing 10 people, as well as three in India and one in the Philippines.

As Rupani explains, the team in India does some of the pre-fabrication work – about 10 per cent of the manufacturing process.

“My aim was to have all the low-skilled work done overseas and the high-skilled work at our Keysborough plant. It’s a structure that has worked very well for us.”

Infinispark, which is turning over about $3 million to $5 million annually, has had some tentative success in overseas markets with orders from Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. Longer term it’s markets with similar regulatory environments to Australia such as the UK and Canada where Rupani can see potential.

But right now the focus remains very firmly on the Australian market where he believes there is still unmet demand for Infinispark’s products.

“I know seven years sounds like [a] long time, but the business is still in its infancy, and we’re doing double time to create a greater awareness of the Infinispark brand,” says Rupani.

“For example, we recently presented to an electricity transmission network provider in New South Wales who told us they’ve been looking for equipment like this for three or four years and didn’t even know we existed. So, just making the electrical industry across Australia aware of what we offer is perhaps our biggest growth opportunity.”

Pictures: supplied

Celebrating Australian Made is an annual editorial series, coinciding with Australian Made Week and commissioned by the Australian Made Campaign to share its members’ stories. For more information on how you can get your products certified as Australian Made, visit this link.