My fool-proof pathway to a Trade…

As a Careers Practitioner – I know I can steer my students down the tried-n-true pathway to a trade. In fact, I outline the formula below, however, let me first discuss….

The Bin Factor….

While my trade-pathway-formula is simple and relatively straightforward (dependent on your school to a certain degree and your natural abilities), the biggest obstacle is the inner ‘binner’.

Every student possesses a bin.  This bin houses all the stuff they are uncomfortable with.

'She wants me to WHAT! - Are you crazy? 
No Way! 
I am going to BIN that idea!'

Binning stuff is a dangerous habit to get into.  If you keep knocking back opportunities because you are scared, or lazy (or a bit of both), then you are making it much harder for the future you to find an apprenticeship.

The following ToonDoo’s (an incredibly easy-to-use site to create your own toon-stuff) demonstrate my tried & true pathway to a trade, starting from Age 14. Yup! 14!

Are you up for the challenge? Let’s explore!

Actually, you can start a School Based Apprenticeship at 15 - but I recommend you begin with work experience first!

STOP RIGHT THERE... depending on your school, some Year 10s can choose to study a VETiS subject. Way to go!

Step 9

Get your ‘L’s!

 

After 18?

With luck, (you will have more of this stuff (luck) if you have followed my formula above) you will secure a full-time apprenticeship (or traineeship) and work towards becoming a fully qualified tradie (or some other #mean-working-machine).

Thereafter – After?

Well, that is your story to write and it will be, sure as eggs, unique. You could:

• stick with the trade/boss you have and work for wages,
• work for a contractor – or contract yourself out
• decide on a complete change
• decide on further education (a higher level qualification in your field), or
• open your own business!

The options are limitless! Scary-as-hell, but limitless!

All I can say is that you will never stop learning. If you do, there is something seriously wrong – and your back pocket – where your wallet is comfortably snoozing – may suffer the consequences.

While I say 'wallet', I show a 'purse' - meaning that my point is valid for both males & females!

Finally….

Get rid of your BIN!

I cannot stress how important it is to get rid of your inner bin!

When your Career Practitioner recommends that you take a particular action (actions that are usually well outside your comfort zone) to help you on your journey to #happy-apprenticeship-hood. STOP yourself from tossing these actions into your bin!

Instead, GROW a spine (can I say that?), and develop the:

• smarts to approach an employer for work experience YOURSELF (stop being a scaredy-cat!)
• guts to ask a boss about a school based apprenticeship
• balls (am I allowed to say that?) to do your best, at all times, in your VET class or SBAT
• cleverness to get your L’s as soon as you can
• nagging ability to get your driving hours up
• sense to start saving for a car
• stomach to regularly update your resume
• fortitude to nag your Career Practitioner whenever you feel you need to step up the pace toward your apprenticeship.

Embracing these actions – and learning to grow from them is the key ingredient to your success in the future.

BTW: Every single one of these actions is an employable skill too! (Career-bot score!!)

Good luck!