VET Electrotechnology

Macleod College VET Electrotechnology

We are extremely grateful for Tonina Cassar and Glenn Pitcher from Metro visiting Macleod College on Wednesday the 13th of March 2024. This was a great opportunity to further develop the VET Electrotechnology students’ knowledge and skills under the guidance and expertise of the Metro SEQ Safety Specialists and Electrical Trainers. 

Tonina and Glenn, firstly, spoke about their roles and presented the PowerPoint presentation “Electrical Engineering”. The students were captivated, interested, engaged and asked lots of questions. Tonina and Glenn were able to provide the students a greater understanding of how the current workplace environments operate and how they contribute to the rail industry, Metro.

Then, under the guidance of Tonina and Glenn, the students were taught how electricians strip wire. Both Tonina and Glenn were very patient and attentive, as they explained the importance of removing the layers of insulation without damaging the copper wire strands. They let the students make mistakes and provided them feedback and improvement suggestions. Also, Tonina and Glenn highlighted that it was okay for the students to learn from their first attempts, and it is okay to make mistakes while you are learning. It was great watching the VET students work enthusiastically and in an engaging manner with their electrical trade tools.

Tonina’s experience, expertise and skills were greatly appreciated, as she was able to reinforce the importance of Safety at the workplace and provided a great insight into the Electrotechnology industry.

Glenn’s experience, expertise and skills were also greatly appreciated, as he was able to explain the difference between working in the rail industry (Metro) and the manufacturing industry (Toyota).

Also, it was extremely beneficial to the VET students to understand how diverse and rewarding a career as an electrician can be. Tonina Cassar’s experience as a female working in a male dominated industry and sharing those stories as positive case studies, demonstrated why choosing a career in the electrical trade is one of the best choices a female can make. This was extremely beneficial for all the students. 

This visit made such a wonderful contribution to the students’ learning experience. A big thank you Tonina Cassar and Glenn Pitcher for their time and effort they put into this visit. The students really valued, treasured and cherished it. It has been greatly appreciated.

A big thank you to Metro (Metro Trains Melbourne) for this great learning opportunity.

John Christopoulos