{"id":240202,"date":"2023-11-02T18:24:11","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T18:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=240202"},"modified":"2023-11-02T18:24:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T18:24:11","slug":"university-isnt-for-everybody-meet-the-people-who-fast-tracked-their-pay-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/lifestyle\/university-isnt-for-everybody-meet-the-people-who-fast-tracked-their-pay-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"University isn\u2019t for everybody. Meet the people who fast tracked their pay instead"},"content":{"rendered":"

By <\/span>Lauren Ironmonger<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Henry Standley says school was never for him, and he knew he didn\u2019t want to follow it up with more years of study.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to go to university, but now I\u2019ve found a job that I love I\u2019m going to work really hard for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standley joined the Australian Defence Force\u2019s paid gap year program after school. The program began with 12 weeks of recruitment training – including weapon handling and first aid – before choosing from one of 21 streams, running the gamut from chef to mechanical engineer. One of his favourite experiences was a five-day expedition to sea on HMAS Adelaide, as part of the program\u2019s \u201cestablishment tour\u201d where students visit every single base in their chosen field.<\/p>\n

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Henry Standley completed the Australian Defence Force\u2019s gap year program in 2021 and now works as an air crewman in the Navy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Standley, many school-leavers aren\u2019t attracted to the idea of sitting in a classroom after having done just that for the past 13 years of their lives \u2013 in the hope of maybe<\/em> securing a job. Nor is it always necessary. Amidst a global skill shortage, many sectors, including STEM, are stepping up to offer alternative ways into the workforce.<\/p>\n

In 2022, research by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education showed career advice for high school students was \u201csignificantly skewed towards university study, and students are uninformed about alternative pathways into post-secondary education\u201d.<\/p>\n

Anna Sidoti, a career development practitioner with more than 15 years of experience, says we need to change how we think about non-university pathways. \u201cThere can be a feeling that university is a better option, that it\u2019s more prestigious, which I don\u2019t think is necessarily true.\u201d<\/p>\n

By thinking this way, she says, \u201cwe lose esteem for very skilled technicians and trained workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds that alternative pathways can be a good way to explore a potential career and gain real-world experience before committing to an expensive degree.<\/p>\n

Standley is now 24 and working as an air crewman. He says the ADF gap year program is a great way to get a taste of life in the defence force and try out a range of different jobs.<\/p>\n

While the navy doesn\u2019t exactly have a reputation for a breezy work culture, Standley says the gap year afforded him plenty of down time. Stationed near the coast at HMAS Albatross, he enjoyed a swim before work and a surf to finish the day.<\/p>\n

Who would the experience be suited for? \u201cSomeone who\u2019s outgoing, wants to meet new people and wants new challenges and new experiences,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Here are five other options to get you skilled – and working – sooner.<\/p>\n

Build a career in tech<\/h3>\n

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Courtney Foster is in the second year of a Microsoft Traineeship, where she will receive a Certificate IV in Information Technology.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Joe Armao<\/cite><\/p>\n

Courtney Foster\u2019s love for computers started in high school. An avid gamer, the 21-year-old became frustrated with an old gaming laptop that wasn\u2019t able to do everything she wanted it to. Naturally, the solution was to build her own.<\/p>\n

When it came to deciding what to do after school, the Melburnian says the advice she was given was highly skewed towards university. But when researching the various degrees on offer, she was dissatisfied with their content.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything I found in the uni courses was pretty much the basics. It was everything I already knew and I wanted to progress my knowledge rather than sitting in a classroom and learning the exact same stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foster continued to work in retail before stumbling upon The Microsoft Traineeship program. Launched in 2019, trainees are officially hired by not-for-profit organisation MEGT, and placed in businesses in the Microsoft Network where they learn (and earn) on the job.<\/p>\n

Students in the two-year program, which is available in six cities across Australia, receive a Certificate IV in Information Technology and industry-recognised Microsoft certifications upon graduation.<\/p>\n

Foster is in her second year of working at MEGT. Trainees in the program work full-time, with a half-day each week set aside for online modules with the support of a call centre and dedicated student advisor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I finish up my training course I\u2019m pretty much good to go just as anyone else [with a degree] would be. It gives me a whole bunch of experience and knowledge that I never would have had access to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get paid to travel the world<\/h3>\n

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Travel the world and earn money doing it as a tour guide.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>iStock<\/cite><\/p>\n

If you want to see the world and enjoy meeting new people, then a career in tourism might be right for you.<\/p>\n

Susan Rees, a tour director and vice-president of Tour Guides Australia, has worked in the travel industry for 40 years, and still gets excited before each trip. She\u2019s passionate about educating the next generation of tour guides.<\/p>\n

In response to a chronic shortage of tour guides \u2013 partly a result of the pandemic \u2013 Tour Guides Australia launched a three-day micro credential course that teaches foundational skills to those interested in the industry. While not a mandatory prerequisite for working as a tour guide, the course can be a good foot in the door as it connects students with industry professionals.<\/p>\n

The next step is typically for aspiring guides to go on \u201cride alongs\u201d with industry professionals, before easing in with short day tours.<\/p>\n

So what makes a good tour guide? Good communication skills are essential, says Rees, as well as being a confident public speaker. You also need to be empathetic and have the ability to tailor your approach according to a group\u2019s demographic. There\u2019s also a degree of research involved \u2013 not just regarding the logistics of travel \u2013 but about the commentary you provide.<\/p>\n

Contribute to a greener future<\/h3>\n

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Candiece Felschow on the job.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you passionate about sustainability and want to work on the front line of renewable energy? Candiece Felschow, 27, has been working as an electrical apprentice in solar energy for just under a year. The young mum from Hervey Bay, Queensland, grew up on a farm and has always loved hands-on work.<\/p>\n

After high school, she didn\u2019t immediately go into a trade, gaining qualifications in business and bookkeeping. Her interest was piqued when electricians would come into her workplace, and she would try and get involved. \u201cI kept trying to do jobs with them instead of my job,\u201d she laughs. Eventually, they offered her an apprenticeship.<\/p>\n

Felschow is working towards a Certificate III in Electrotechnology, which is partly funded by the state government. She is also supported by the New Energy Apprenticeship, which gives Australian apprentices in the clean energy sector up to $10,000 to support their study.<\/p>\n

She admits that being a woman in trade isn\u2019t always easy. \u201cYou\u2019re amongst men and they do the typical male thing. Some of them think they\u2019re better than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hopes more women are encouraged to take up a trade. \u201cThere are a lot of women who are more than capable of doing these kinds of jobs and they should be given that opportunity to do so like I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Build on a passion for property<\/h3>\n

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If you have the gift of the gab, consider a career in real estate. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>iStock<\/cite><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re renting or buying a home, a real estate agent can make or break that experience.<\/p>\n

Belinda Fletcher is Head Teacher of Property Services at TAFE NSW, where a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice is a common entry point to the industry (although she says many students come to the course having completed a Certificate III in high school). The certificate covers everything from legislation to communication. And while she says there is some theory involved, a big part of the course involves role play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe students love [the practical] aspect of it. That\u2019s where they come to the realisation that they actually like real estate, and it\u2019s something that they want to do going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon graduation, students can choose to join the workforce at an assistant level, climbing the ladder internally, or pursue further study.<\/p>\n

\u201cI use the word gift of the gab \u2013 they\u2019ve gotta love talking,\u201d says Fletcher.<\/p>\n

And while some may be put off by what is essentially a six-day work week, the hours within those days are flexible.<\/p>\n

Fletcher says one of the best aspects of the job is that it\u2019s ever-changing. \u201cYou\u2019re not sitting in an office all the time, you\u2019re out meeting different people, seeing different properties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be part of the beating heart of a city<\/h3>\n

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Christopher Heath completed a train driver traineeship in 2012 and now works as a driver trainer.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Wolter Peeters<\/cite><\/p>\n

Christopher Heath has worked with NSW trains for over a decade \u2013 first as a survey systems operator, then a train driver and now a driver trainer and shift manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis might sound a little corny,\u201d says the 45-year-old, \u201cbut honestly the thing I love most is that the transport of any major city is vitally important, and you are a vital, albeit small cog in that system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heath was fairly sure from high school that \u201cany kind of academic future wasn\u2019t on the cards\u201d. But he didn\u2019t immediately spring for a career in rail, starting with an apprenticeship at Sydney Airport.<\/p>\n

He describes the year-long driver traineeship as intense but supportive. Students commence with classroom-based learning, before moving into the field for more hands-on training that includes working with a simulator and shadowing a qualified driver.<\/p>\n

He says he\u2019s been surprised by the potential for career development within the industry. Employees can even apply for secondments that allow them to work in a different government sector for a period of time.<\/p>\n

So what kind of person would a career in rail suit? Someone comfortable with shift work, \u201cwho can work autonomously, who enjoys a dynamic environment and who can remain clearheaded when stressful situations arise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five other pathways to consider<\/h3>\n