Aiden decided to do a VCE Vocational Major course at Chisholm Institute of TAFE as part of his Year 12 studies, working towards completing his Certificate II in Engineering Studies.

In 2023, Aiden started working for GT & JA Jones Engineering in Dandenong, as part of his Vocational Major. He gained valuable experience in fabrication and welding and his boss offered him a school-based apprenticeship for 2024.

He said that doing an apprenticeship was tough at first.

“When my TAFE educators and my boss at GT and JA Jones Engineering started giving me recognition for my skills, that’s when I realised how much I had learned.”

When he finishes his apprenticeship, Aiden is interested in exploring work in the renewable energy sector.

It is his excellent work ethic and great attitude that helped him to win the Vocational Major Excellence Award at the Peninsula Applied Learning Association Awards in 2023, as well as the Secondary Student of the Year Award in the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards.

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