30 replies to this topic

[alexGT]

haha! industrial electrician turned technical officer checking in!

 

great trade, arguably one of the hardest though. plenty to get out of it if you put the hard yards in.

 

also suggest if you do complete apprenticeship go further with it. my post trade years of TAFE taught me some great skills.

[Bumpty]

I haven't been to UNi or done a trade, and potentially I will be travelling all over the big round globe in my job. Travel is more important to me than money.

[JRod]

Started in a quarry as a trainee. Did Cert 3 in extractive industries. Worked my way up to Leading Hand, then Production Supervisor, Quarry Manager and Maintenance Supervisor in 3 different quarries over 9 1/2 years. Now Area Manager for a global explosives company called Maxam. Looking after our largest depot in Australia.

Glad I didnt go to Uni.

[Morgan]

Ugh. Shift work. Do not want.

 

I never went to uni. Did a business course at TAFE straight out of school, got a job - didn't relate to anything I wanted to go into... purely just to earn money, figured out what I wanted to do with my career, enrolled in another TAFE course to help me get there. Over half way through that now and still working full time at the same job. Doesn't pay fantastically but I'd rather spend time with my family than spend every sunlit hour at work for a bit of extra cash.

[skillionaire]

Hi,

 

Can I just rename this thread 'We're all different'

 

?

 

Cheers,

Nik

[Morgan]

^^ Haha yep.

 

Not all of us want to be tradies!

[mark300]

 Doesn't pay fantastically but I'd rather spend time with my family than spend every sunlit hour at work for a bit of extra cash.

 

this. don't live to work, work to live. 

too many people i know and in my current company do 12-14 hour days, and have no real life outside of work. don't know how anyone can do it

[Barbbachello]

^^ Haha yep.

 

Not all of us want to be tradies!

yep

[Liberty]

this. don't live to work, work to live. 

too many people i know and in my current company do 12-14 hour days, and have no real life outside of work. don't know how anyone can do it

 

+1. Although I am eager to get into a career, there is no way I'm gonna be spending every waking second working. There are more things to life than work. It's all about balance and priorities in my opinion.

[allpaw4]

Shift work is certainly not for everyone. It means a long day. But in my case, it means I spend less days a year working, and more full days doing things I want to. If I need to work more hours during those days I am at work to facilitate this, so be it. However, if and when kids come along, I dare say that attitude will disappear.

 

But I think we are starting to move away from the purpose of the original post - to say that there are quite a few different alternatives to Uni, most of which are almost never covered (or should I say advertised) in school. This wasnt meant to be a 'Do a trade, its the only way to make great money' thread (even though in hindsight, it certainly sounded that way lol). In my opinion, TAFE is not advertised near well enough, be it trade or not.

[Liberty]

I agree. When I went to school it was university or nothing really. I went to Year 12 and did my HSC and did get a UAI, although not the best, I didn't do much for about six months before deciding to study Architectural Technology in TAFE. If I was to continue with the course and finish it, I'd be able to transfer to university, gain exemptions for particular subjects and end up graduating a year earlier than I would if I had gone directly to university.