Out on Site!

Putting Theory into Practice

 

Tom Wilkinson

Year 11

I am doing the VCE Vocational Major - my VET subject is Carpentry and I study at NCAT.  I did my Structured Work placement with a local builder during the July holidays, and it gave me the chance to see what working on a jobsite would really be like. 

 

I did get a lot of experience about how a job site is run - OHS routines, working with others and answering to my boss, as well as learning more about specific skills and processes.  I really enjoyed the demolition process - ripping up things is fun

 

Tom W
Tom W

I also helped to build sub-floors, handle timber loads, fetch and carry for the boss - and even picked up extra experience that I did not expect.  On this job we were re-using aand recycling as much of the material on site as we could.  The boss showed me what to look for when checking recycled wood - how to spot imperfections, rot or any other problems - and he explained why we would (or would not) not want to use it.  I asked a lot of questions on site, and my boss was really good at explaining things. I think that is why I learned so much.

 

There was also other jobs that I got to do, like bricklaying. I got to see that  there are often small jobs like this that have to be done, outside of what you think your job is actually going to be! I used so much of the skills I have learned at TAFE - like safety, getting accurate measurements and much, much more.

 

 I am so glad that I have had the experience of being on site and using the new skills that I have gained.

Demo!
Demo!