Year 10 student Mikail can hardly wait for Thursdays.
“I wake up, I’m excited, I get up, I get ready, and I want to bolt out the door and go to TAFE,” he said.
The Hoxton Park High School student is one of a growing number of Western Sydney students exploring future careers through TAFE NSW’s Start Your Future electrotechnology program, a hands-on course helping students gain practical skills while still at school.
For Mikail, the experience has already broadened his horizons.
“It’s just kind of opened my mind,” he said.
Delivered at TAFE NSW Miller through the NSW Department of Education’s Educational Pathways Program, the course gives students a taste of the electrical trade and helps them connect classroom learning with real-world career opportunities.
Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School student Leanne said the program had strengthened her ambition to become an electrician.
“This course just gives you a little bit of a taste of what it would be like to come here, and what your first year would look like as an apprentice and an electrician in the future,” she said.
Leanne hopes to begin a school-based apprenticeship next year, while fellow student Andy from Ashcroft High School said the course had changed how he viewed his future.
“After seeing how much I’m enjoying this course, I’m considering pursuing electrotechnology instead of studying medicine,” he said.
Granville South High School student Mohammad has also rethought his plans.
“Before, I was thinking of plumbing and construction, but after this course, I’m thinking of going into electrotechnology,” he said.
TAFE NSW Miller Head Teacher Electrical Trades Gary Ainsworth said the course provides students with a realistic introduction to the industry before they commit to an apprenticeship.
“Their pure enthusiasm and seeing them light up with what we’re doing gives me a lot of joy,” he said.
Educational Pathways Program Head Teacher Careers Angie Sisala said exposing students to different industries early helps them make informed choices about their future.
“We know that early exposure to a variety of different industries gives students more knowledge and confidence to explore what interests them and what might align to their goals,” she said.
Importantly, vocational pathways do not close doors.
“It doesn’t cut off any options. All it does is open up more options,” Sisala added.
Through partnerships between schools, TAFE NSW and industry, programs like Start Your Future are helping students build job-ready skills, gain industry experience and discover career pathways they may never have previously considered.
