Catch Up Episodes
An insider’s perspective on what ‘a day in the life’ might look like across a variety of different workplaces. These 15-minute sessions are live-streamed as a Zoom webinar and via Facebook, during which students had the opportunity to ask questions in the chat.
Frank Grillo is a skilled and experienced Parts Interpreter at MaxiParts. With several years of experience in the industry, he has developed a deep understanding of a variety of machine parts and systems, enabling him to quickly and accurately identify and locate the parts required for any repair or maintenance job. Learn more about Parts Interpreting as a career in this short interview.
Disability Services | Leanne Russ, National Disability Coordination Officer, SkillsPlus and BRACE
Leanne started working in the disability sector at age 18. She went on to become a house supervisor when she finished uni and worked in behaviour intervention, then mental health.
She has also worked as an Area Manager for a large disability support organisation and as a “workplace assessor” on the National Panel of Assessors in the disability employment sector.
She is currently a NDCO National Disability Coordination Officer – her role is to work at a strategic level to remove the barriers for people with a disability accessing tertiary education.
Chris did an apprenticeship to become a motor mechanic and worked in a wrecking yard. He soon realised that he was also great at data and analytics, and the owner moved him into warehousing and sales.
After a fulfilling career, Chris is now National Sales Manager, he leads a team of 14 people and manages exports of around $5 million at ACM Auto Parts.
Lewis found his Certificate III in Community Services a life-changing experience.
He enjoyed the traineeship so much that he enrolled in a Certificate IV and won the Victorian Training Awards Koorie Student of the Year.
Now an Executive Officer and Team Leader at the Aboriginal Justice Caucus Office, Lewis is passionate about providing advice to government and advocating for Aboriginal people in the justice system.
Just two years after finishing school, Benny is building an empire. After completing a Certificate III in Events in Years 10 and 11, Benny finished Year 12 and dounded a company: The BG Group. Benny’s company leads young artists, photographers, musicians as well as venues and media companies.
Pat Cummins, VET Champion and Owner of Ecotech, tells us about his journey and vision to help young apprentices rise to success.
Jacob McGlinchey is a Senior Sales Consultant at Jellis Craig Ringwood. He talked to us about what it’s like to work in Real Estate and how he progressed so quickly throughout his rewarding career.
Hannah started doing VET certificates in Year 10 and completed as many VET subjects as she could while doing VCAL in Year 11 and 12. She’s now a Youth Worker at the inner city school, Youth 2 Industry, and is living her dream.
With the recent introduction of Free Kinder in Victoria, Early Childhood Educators are in high demand! In this episode, we heard from Natalie and Bianca from the Combined Preschools of Southern Grampians Inc. about what it’s like to give students the best start in life through play-based learning.
In this episode, Youth Workers Maddie and Josh talk about what it’s really like to work in the industry, addressing some of the common misconceptions and reflecting on what makes their job so rewarding.
You may have heard that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on many young people. This week on Come to Work With Me, we met the taskforce of Youth Workers who have been appointed to support young people and meet the increased demand that COVID-19 has created for youth services.
Students are invited to meet Trent, Ali and Sarah from the Primary Care Partnerships Youth Engagement team and learn about the rewarding career options in the Youth Services sector.
This week on Come to Work With Me, we’ll be hosting a very special #nationalskillsweek edition of Come to Work With Me featuring a panel of mentors and teachers straight from the INLLEN New Enterprise Economy Program.
Our panel will be discussing a number of their groundbreaking new innovations their students have been working on such as upcycling old jeans into housing insulation and developing an app where students can check in on each other’s mental health during lockdown.
Come to Work With Me Episode 9 features Kirsty, Andrew and Courtney from Community Bank Wallan and Kilmore. There’s so much more to working at a bank than many of us realise – learn about the variety of careers in the Banking and Finance sector and the types of pathways you can take to find work in the industry. We also hear from our guests about what makestheir job rewarding, and why they do what they do.
Learn about careers in this exciting, and recently, highly agile industry.
Carrie Hardie has worked both locally and abroad, organising high-profile events such as TEDx and festivals. She has since founded her own production company: Serious Comedy.
Danielle Debrenni grew up in the Alice Spring and moved to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Event Management. She currently works for the Melbourne University Business School as the Events Coordinator.
Ashley is a mechanic who specialises in very large vehicles with diesel engines. She currently works on mining vehicles and equipment at a large site in Queensland.
Ashley is one of five DET VET Champions, which spotlights high-achieving Victorians who have risen to success through a vocational education and training (VET) pathway. You can find out more about Ashley here.
Jac worked in outdoor education for several years before realising horticulture was her calling. After studying at South Australia Certificate IV in Horticulture at TAFE in Adelaide, she began working for the Diggers Club. As the Ornamental Category Manager, she leads the Ornamental gardening, strategy and selection.
Mani Swift is an apprentice grower at Ball, Australia.
“Beginning my career in horticulture was a great decision. I am coming towards the end of my apprenticeship and have loved every second of it. Being able to do what you enjoy as a job makes you look forward to work every day and the opportunities that have risen in this field of work so far have been amazing.”
Bonnie started her career in horticulture at age 15.
“A combination of hard work and a willingness to ‘have a go’ has led me to become a published writer, television presenter, nursery ambassador and a magazine editor; and there’s so much more to look forward to.”
“After visiting Australia as a backpacker, I decided to stay and started working at Treloars Roses and also as a farmhand on another property. From there I decided to study agronomy. I am now working full time as an agronomist with Vickery Bros. This area is a great combination of rural spaces with almost city living. We have a combination of farms, coast and towns, which is great.”
Natalie didn’t know what she wanted to be when she chose her degree so she did something she loved and hoped it would pay off. It led her to an amazing career spanning many different industries – defence, foreign affairs, transport, energy and telecommunications. A city girl she was surprised to discover a love for agriculture and its people based on shared values. She has worked as a senior executive in many roles, including as CEO of Australian Dairy Farmers and now leading Food and Fibre Great South Coast. Natalie has won many awards including Telstra Business Woman of the Year and International Woman in Renewables.
Martin started off his career journey studying a science degree at university. On completion of his degree, he took up full-time work in a warehouse while he figured out what he wanted to do next.
When Martin discovered Arbory, he knew it was a great fit for him: he was looking for hands-on work and to be immersed in the outdoors and the environment around him.
After completing a Certificate III in Business traineeship while doing Year 12, Liaquat was offered a full-time job at GOTAFE. Now he works as a Student Attraction Officer supporting other students to go into VET. Find out more about Liaqat here.
“Coming to Australia only a few years ago, I didn’t know about different pathways available other than university. Luckily my Careers teacher provided me with advice about school-based traineeships. I’ve been really welcomed and helped in Australia, and I now want to give young people and families the same opportunities that I’ve been given.”
Meet Kelly Electrical Apprentice at Foodmac. Kelly tried a few careers before settling on an electrical apprenticeship. She loves her work, encouraging others to give plenty of opportunities a try, just like she did, to find the right fit. You can find out more about Kelly here. Produced in partnership with Department of Education & Training, Victoria VET Champions
“You always need to keep growing, never get comfortable.”
Meet Kane. Associate Director at GTA, now Stantec. Kane completed 2 Advanced Diplomas of Engineering and now he works at an international firm on Big Build projects across Victoria.
You can find out more about Kane’s story on the DET VET Champions Website.
“I’ve always enjoyed hands-on learning in the workplace. There were times when I was concerned that only having an Advanced Diploma would not be enough but it’s never held me back from opportunities.”