PEOPLE keen to enter the automotive, panel beating and spray painting industry now have new opportunities in Wodonga.
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GOTAFE has been offering a pre-apprenticeship course at the Wodonga Senior Secondary College Trade Training Centre for about three weeks.
The 12-week course is seen as a way to prepare people — who are increasingly young women — for apprenticeships in the industry.
People had previously been forced to travel to Wangaratta for the course.
“It gives them a taste of everything,” GOTAFE automotive team leader Mark Ward said.
“It’s never been delivered up here.”
Student Codie Robbins said the course would be a good step towards gaining an apprenticeship.
“I want to become a mechanic,” he said.
“It will definitely help with my job prospects.”
Albury Auto Body Repairs apprentice Kate Babidge said she would have benefited from such a course before starting at the business.
“I started straight out of high school and had no idea how to do anything,” she said.
“It’s hard and very daunting, you’ve got no idea what you’re going into.
“All the boys at work had to spend extra time to teach me various things.
“I would have been so far ahead.”
Her boss Andrew Harvey said the experience gained by the course was “extremely important”.
The course runs three days a week.
