Building pathways to apprenticeship in Construction

Construction teacher Ovidiu Stoici says that students studying Certificate II Construction can expect to learn everything needed to construct a home from bricklaying to carpentry.

And it all counts towards an apprenticeship.

“Long story short it’s the first step into getting an apprenticeship,” says Ovidiu.

“We get to see where their skills are at, and we get a lot of employers who look here first when they’re looking to hire.

“Anyone who stands out in the group, we recommend them, and they return to us at a Cert III level.

“We’ve already had one student in this class within the first few weeks who just stood out. He was job-ready and he’s already got an apprenticeship.”

The course attracts students that like to get their hands dirty, sling jokes and have fun according to Keith Woolman Student Services Officer helping in Construction.

“I don’t think they like pushing pens,” says Keith.

“I would say we’re hands on. They learn skills they’ll use for the rest of their life, even if they don’t go into construction.

“Academia is not for these young people and so they have fun while they’re here and we respond pretty much the same way they do.

“That’s because that’s the way the industry works. It’s a blanket of fun every day. You try to enjoy every minute of every day in the construction game.”

“I think they’re enjoying it. They keep coming back so that’s a good sign,” laughs Ovidiu.

Nathan W, a NASC student in his first year of construction, recommends studying the course at NASC because the teachers and environment make it worthwhile.

“Obviously completing Cert II would be the main goal but learning from other people and the TAFE teachers, well they’ve got good knowledge and it’s good to learn from them,” says Nathan.

“I chose construction because it was a broader, bigger topic here and I hope to achieve better skills.”

For others in the course, construction has another appeal.

“I want to get rich,” laughs Kane N., a student studying construction and English at NASC.

“The course, it’s alright. It’s hard but it’s easy. It’s what I expected. With the course you learn different things, and when you’re older you can switch between them.”

“Give it a go. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t. You could always do something else,” says construction student, Brayden T-B.

“You miss every shot you don’t take,” agrees Nathan.

If you would like to enrol in construction for 2021, contact Northern Adelaide Senior College on (08) 7285 1600 to book.