Industry tour for local students helps to raise image appeal of the engineering trades

Business owners are embracing innovative ways of promoting engineering trade careers to local school students in an effort to meet ongoing skill shortages.

Over 30 students from Flagstone State Community College recently spent the day touring a number of engineering workshops in the Sumner Park Industrial Estate.

Pictured left and below: Metfit Industries welcomed the students into their workshop for a demonstration on equipment.

The students welcomed the opportunity to see firsthand the daily activities of a workshop, while employers and apprentices spent time chatting with the group about career prospects, wages and working conditions.

Training Consultant Rebekah Provan, who helped organise the industry tour in conjunction with Flagstone State Community College’s Industry Liaison Officer Kylie Newey, says the event was welcomed by employers keen to promote the benefits of trade careers to young people.

“The workshop owners really enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their business and create real links with their future workforce,” said Rebekah.

Kylie believes the tour helped the students to appreciate the relevance of their school studies to a future career in the trades.

“Students have been talking about the trip since they got back to school in their engineering class, and their teacher can now refer to what they saw in each workplace.”

“Students are often unsure about the differences between trades in the same industry, so being able to speak to real “tradies” and ask questions and see what they do is important when deciding which career path they are going to take.”

“We can’t simulate all the different workshops in a school environment, so we are very grateful that the businesses were so willing to have us.” she says.

Industry tours improve the quality of career education for young Australians by providing them with on-site awareness of industry operations and related job opportunities.

We would like to thank Metfit Industries, Grays Mobile Welding and Alternate Diesel for supporting this event.

For further information about school-based apprenticeship training please call Rebekah on 0402 119 955 or visit the Traineeship and Apprenticeship section of our website.

Pictured below: Students watch a demonstration at Gray's Mobile Welding.