16 Feb 2016

If you’ve finished school and you already know university isn’t your thing, you might have already started to consider commencing an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are great–you get hands-on experience and a qualification, all while you’re getting paid to learn. But, how much do you really know about what it takes to be an apprentice?

If you went to one of the many schools that glaze over apprenticeships as a viable post-school option, then you mightn’t know much. What does a typical day as an apprentice look like? What kind of work would you be doing? What are some of the common misconceptions about apprenticeships?

To answer all these questions and more, we had a chat to Tom, an 18-year-old tradie from Sydney who is in the first year of his carpentry apprenticeship (and loving it). Tom gave us the inside scoop about what life as an apprentice is like, and what he hopes to get out of gaining his qualification.

“I finished Year 12 last year and started my apprenticeship this year, so basically went straight into the trade industry. I’m doing a Cert III Carpentry apprenticeship, which expands over four years (three years doing TAFE and working on site, then the last year is full onsite work)”.

Tom was lucky enough to have his Year 12 timber technology major work–a wooden bathtub–‘spotted’ by his now employer, who immediately asked him if he would like an apprenticeship as a carpenter. “Straight away I said yes,” Tom recalled.

An average day for Tom starts at 7am, where on arrival at work his boss will give the team of employees a rundown of what work should be completed that day, and who will be focussing on which tasks. “Most apprentices are running around getting tools and equipment for the more qualified guys, but a lot of my work involves helping out, as my boss wants me straight on the tools.”

“My apprenticeship gets me working with all trades and my boss trains me on how to custom build a full house… we build stairs, decks, frames, kitchens, balconies and a lot more. Every month I have one week where I do two days [onsite] work and three days at TAFE… at TAFE we build things that will help us in the industry and also do theory work.”

When we asked Tom what some of the highlights of his apprenticeship were, he told us that once his apprenticeship is over, he will understand how to build an entire house from scratch–something he was very much looking forward to doing. “I also get to meet new people from many other trades, and get to watch a house go from nothing to something amazing.”

And the worst part of Tom’s job? “Cleaning! Haha, definitely cleaning.”

Tom also mentioned that the biggest misconception about apprenticeships is the way trades are perceived by others. “A lot of people judge those who do apprenticeships because they don’t go to Uni… Yeah, we go to TAFE, but we are the ones who can start getting paid a lot more than someone who is at Uni, and by the time we finish our apprenticeship.”

Tom hopes that one day he will be able to open his own carpentry business, and build his own house for his family. “Maybe I’ll even make more bathtubs!”