Being a tradie is not a Plan B it is a worthwhile career with lifelong opportunities.
The benefits of being a tradie are being highlighted as part of National Skills Week, held from 19-26 August, 2024.
RMIT University deputy vice-chancellor for vocational education, Mish Eastman, said it’s time to stop treating trades and vocational education like a fallback for the students who ‘can’t’ or don’t want to go to university.
“When our high school students hear their parents and other adults talk about the TAFE experience, it’s of a TAFE that
existed 20-30 years ago,” Eastman said.
“This is a long way from the contemporary VE experience, which has undergone an enormous and very positive change.
“Trades are an important and necessary part of the VE system. However, they're not the only part. Many people don't realise the VE system provides meaningful and lifelong career opportunities in many areas of economic significance such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, IT and cybersecurity.”
Eastman said VE offers accelerated learning models, where students can earn as they study and get into the workforce sooner.
“For students who can't afford to study, who simply cannot take time away from paid work, VE is an educational lifeline. They go on to rewarding, enjoyable and purpose-filled careers in a broad range of areas – many with an earning capacity on par with those with a university degree,” she said.
Vocational training can change lives, according to the chair of National Skills Week 2024, Brian Wexham.
“The opportunities in remote and regional areas for developing life changing skills are significant,” Wexham said.
“An important first step is access to VET and apprenticeships. With that grounding, pathways to career advancement are created.”
The federal government has committed $30 billion to VET over the next five years in a bid to address Australia’s national skills shortage.
Bradley Maynard from Launceston, Tasmania, began his apprenticeship in 1996 and has worked at engineering and fabrication company Crisp Bros. & Maynard for the past 18 years.
“VET has shaped my life from when I first completed my apprenticeship as a boilermaker and welder, to where I am today as a safety manager looking after almost 300 employees,” he said.