An interview with...

If apprenticeships are the foundation upon which great careers are built, then Year 11 VCE VM student, Lee McCrindle has well and truly placed his toolbox ahead of the game.

Easy-going and charismatic in his affability, it is little wonder that today, Lee sits grinning from ear to ear, and as well he should! More than excited that his last day at the college has finally arrived, Lee is also stoked about beginning an apprenticeship in cabinet making in the new year.

Launching into a fast-tracked Certificate 2 in Building and Construction in 2022, Lee’s VET studies have in many ways, laid the groundwork for his much-anticipated apprenticeship with GV Kitchens. Aimed at equipping students with the industry knowledge and skills that they’re interested in, VET courses not only retain student engagement but open-up myriad pathways leading to further training and career prospects.

When asked if his VET course had helped him to secure an apprenticeship at GV Kitchens, Lee said,

 ‘I’ve always wanted to do something more hands on, and the VET course was fairly hands on so, I thought it might be an idea to give it a crack.

‘My initial idea [ in doing the Certificate 2] was to have a range of opportunities that would open different pathways. [At TAFE], I particularly enjoyed making furniture during the first year…but I reckon it was the work placements that I did at DP and then GV kitchens, that got me over the line to achieving an apprenticeship.’

A burgeoning artisan who has already crafted a stool and a coffee table or two, Lee said the transition to TAFE had been ‘awesome’ after some initial adjustment.

‘At TAFE I was able to learn a variety of skills. I enjoyed the different learning environment and being in the company of other likeminded students who shared the same interests.

‘At first, I found it challenging to wrap my head around the tasks that were asked of us but once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed it. The hands-on model of learning meant that we weren’t sitting in a classroom all day, we were out in the shed working with tools, and I really thrived in that environment.’

When asked about the challenges coming his way over the next four years as he heads into his apprenticeship, Lee, customarily un-phased said, ‘It’ll be alright, I reckon, I’ll get the hang of it!’

And we’re sure you will, Lee, and here’s to wishing you all the very best of luck for a bright and industrious future.