BBM Trade Scholar 2010, Signage

“If you told me back in 2010, before I went on the BBM scholarship, I would be here today, speaking another language with a family and my own company, I would not have believed you. It all started with the world skills and BBM scholarship.

So I guess I owe in part a thanks to you guys too!”

G’day, my name is Ben Plummer, I am an Australian signwriter based in Haarlem, Netherlands.

My journey as a sign maker started back in 2007 when I started my apprenticeship in Adelaide. After countless efforts trying to land a gig as a signy and being told I first needed experience, I was finally given a chance and I didn’t let it slip.

In the first year of my apprenticeship I was awarded with the academic excellence award from Tafe SA where I studied and finished first in my class. The next year I was awarded a gold award by the Australian sign and graphics association for work by a first year apprentice for a mural I painted.

Two years later in my last year as an apprentice I entered the WorldSkills competition and won gold in the Adelaide regional sign making section and then went on to win the Australian national gold medal in the same section.

This lead to me being awarded a BBM scholarship that would take me to Wales in the UK for a month long intensive training program.

After the scholarship I was totally hooked on the idea of working overseas for a year. 10 months after I returned home I packed up and moved to the Netherlands on a one year working/holiday visa.

I found work at a sign company and after 1 year the company offered to sponsor me for a further 2 years.

During this time, my girlfriend who I met over here and I got married.

After three and a half years at the company I decided it was time to start working full time for myself again. So I started my company in Haarlem in the Netherlands, ‘the ben plummer sign co’.

Another three and a half years later I’m still here and my company is doing great. I am now focused on sign painting, murals and gold leaf signage, which was the reason I first began with sign writing all those years back in Adelaide.

My wife and I also welcomed our daughter into the world this year in July. And I also just completed the citizenship exam here in the Netherlands last month.

If you told me back, in 2010 before I went on the BBM scholarship, I would be here today, speaking another language with a family and my own company, I would not have believed you. It all started with the world skills and BBM scholarship.

So I guess I owe in part a thanks to you guys too!

To check out Ben’s murals, gold leaf signage and painting workshops head to his website:  the Ben Plummer Sign co.