VET

Interview with Ingrid Cardak - Year 11 

Please introduce yourself. Tell us a bit about what you are studying at SSSC.

I am currently in Year 11 studying art, history, music, English language, and general maths at Swinburne. I love to skate and I play roller derby. I make collage art in my spare time and play the accordion.

Why did you choose to enrol in VET Building and Construction Pathways as part of your VCE?

I came from an all girls school where our only opportunities to do practical subjects like textiles and food tech. I enjoyed these subjects to an extent but always wanted the opportunity to learn things like carpentry, tiling, bricklaying, metal work, and other trades. I found that a number of boys schools had these options and it annoyed me that I had never had the same opportunity as them. I strongly believe that trades skills will help anyone at any point in their life because they have a practical use and function. I didn’t go into this wanting to be a tradie (I was open to it) but I just wanted to learn more practical skills that could open my career path.

Has your choice of VCE Art had an influence on your design of the VET projects?

As a person who loves to be creative, I have explored so many different art forms. I make origami, collages, and love to experiment with different mediums. I went into my course with a very open mind, not knowing what to expect, however I hoped that my prior art endeavours would help me when learning this new skill set. As I have been learning new skills in my course I have found that I would definitely like to work with more hands on mediums like tiling and mosaic as you get to be creative in a different way.

What do you enjoy about the VET Program? 

I enjoy learning about skills that have a practical use in life, but also have an aspect of creativity that I am able to incorporate. I strongly believe that these are skills that I will be able to use at any point in my life and that understanding how things are made and how buildings are constructed is heavily beneficial in many different aspects of life.

What are you planning on doing after your time at Swinburne?  Will your VET study influence your choices?

Currently I have been offered the opportunity for a tiling apprenticeship, however I am not sure if I will take it. I am still open to going to uni for construction and/or architecture, but right now I am focused on finishing VCE and VET. 

Is there anything you wish to add?

If you are thinking about doing a VET course but are not sure if it will be for you, sign up for it. You can always drop it if you hate it, but there is also a chance that you will enjoy it and it will lead to a number of new opportunities.