Life After HSC: Carpentry Trade

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Waiting until the completion of Year 12 before starting a trade is the path that Austin Sultana took. As his cohort’s 2016 School Captain – the change of life from academia to trade is a big change.

What are you doing after HSC?

I am currently studying a Certificate 3 in Carpentry. I work full time as an apprentice carpenter and attending Nirimba Tafe/college one day per week.

Why did you stay until Year 12? What are the benefits of staying until Year 12 before starting a trade?

The initial reason I decided to stay on through t0 Year 12 was too keep my options open outside of my trade. For example, if I injured myself at work and needed to begin University due to a back injury for example, the HSC would allow me to do this. This reason did change, as my personal endeavours changed. Now I am hoping to complete a course in teaching after my trade. Completing the HSC and finishing with a mark I was happy with left me unrestricted for when I complete my trade, allowing me to set goals in other fields.

Year 12 allowed me to develop as a person, worker and leader (which is what a trade calls for). In simple form, I was more prepared for the big bad world after completing Year 12 than I was upon completing Year 10.

Was it a big lifestyle change – school to full time work?

Completing a trade is definitely a different lifestyle, but I wouldn’t define it as a large change. Instead of going to school you go to work, and upon finishing work you are not expected to complete homework. Time can be found for social activities on the weekend. The hardest aspect for me as a carpenter in making the transition from school was the physical aspect of the work, particularly in summer. This however doesn’t apply to all trades, and each individual will acclimatise to the different workloads as time progresses.

Is TAFE at all like High School?

Tafe is very informal and relaxed. There is no-where near the amount of work required for school, and it adds a positive as it breaks up the monotonous working week. It is quite easy at first, but does become more challenging as the trade progresses, making it more interesting.

What are your plans for your career?

I would like to gain more experience in my trade area of carpentry once I complete my apprenticeship. Then, I would like to either begin my own business or become a teacher in trade related areas; high school woodwork teacher or a Tafe teacher. Completing year 12 has given me the option of taking a different career path such as this.

Describe a typical day in your working life.

The typical day of an apprentice carpenter is simple but hard going. The time you wake up depends on where the job site is located and how long it takes to get there. I start work at 7, different companies vary but 7 o’clock is common. The day begins with unloading the tools from the utes, my own and the other tradesmen. These are then set up ready for the day. The boss usually then allocates me a job for the day, explaining what needs to be done and how it is to be completed. As an apprentice, we also get all the odd jobs on the site, moving materials and tools from once place to another and helping tradesmen when required. This makes the day fast paced and challenging, as the tradesmen are relying on you so they can complete their work, making the day a multitasking headache at times with 10 objectives you need to complete and all at once to keep the tradesmen happy whilst you get your own amount of set work done.

Don’t let this stress get to you as the apprenticeship goes on it gets easier, but can be quite daunting at first. 11 O’clock is break time, lasting half an hour to 45 minutes, and we usually have a 15 minute break at 2 o’clock. At 3 o’clock we start packing up all the tools, and we are generally off site on our way home at 3:30, sometimes needing to work overtime depending on the job. After work it’s up to you how you spend your time. I’m generally too tired to undertake any fantastic activities, but everybody’s different in how they recover from a day’s work and how they relax.

Do you fondly look at your High School achievements?

I definitely reflect upon my school achievements. Not all of them are significant to me, but some do remind me of what I am capable of, encouraging me to do the best I can and reminding me what my best is at work and applying myself to life in general. This allows me to set goals and keep in tune with the core values and principles I built whilst completing my senior education.

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