Students across the Border have gained a hands-on taste of a trade and uncovered new skills and interests.
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More than 160 year 10 to 12 students from schools including Mount Beauty, Culcairn and Walla, visited TAFE NSW Albury on Wednesday, March 27.
Albury High School student Lyla McNamara said the day was a great way to see her trade interest in action.
The year 11 student is considering a career in Defence or becoming a diesel mechanic.
"I have a brother-in-law that's in diesel mechanics, and he really seems to like it," she said.
"I've just been around trucks and stuff like that. It just seemed interesting, seemed like something I'd like."
She thinks trades are becoming more popular for females to choose after school.
"It is a little bit intimidating because there isn't a lot of girls in the trade industry," she said.
"But at the same time, it's like I'm proud of it because I actually get to expand myself and the industry to other girls, so yeah, it's pretty cool."
Lyla will be participating in the Girls Can Too program at TAFE NSW with some of her friends next term, an opportunity for females to try out trades firsthand.
Billabong High School student Max Pumpa is interested in becoming an electrician after school, but Wednesday's program has also seen him explore other trades.
"The construction was good. A bit of hands-on," he said.
The year 10 student enjoyed the practical side of the day.
"It's good to see what I like because it's different from it just being explained to you," he said.
Students were able to attend different sessions and gain hands-on experience in a range of trades including carpentry, automotive, electrotechnology and plumbing.
The activities were designed to give a realistic view as to what the trade involved and to encourage students to try new things.
Teacher in the electrotechnology department at Albury TAFE, Sarah Thomas said the day aimed to make the students excited about the possibilities for them.
"A lot of what we've got on display for our electrical students here today is a bit of variation," she said.
"We've got domestic, so we've got a little bit of lighting. We've got some industrial stuff, so our programmable logic controllers and that little bit more automated services.
"We've got a few little activities that are a little bit more fun for the kids, getting them used to the electrical impulses within the body."
The TAFE teacher said it had been great to see an increase in females interested in the industry.
"Definitely more of a balance coming in," she said.
"Obviously, I started in the electrical field when it wasn't quite up and running for the females, but we've had a lot more female students coming through TAFE in general, and we've got a good mix here today.
"But yeah, it's definitely an open field for anyone and everyone."
It is the second year the event has run to encourage students to consider construction trade careers.
In the future, organisers hope more local businesses will be involved in the day.
Wodonga TAFE's in school engagement officer Susan Groenen says the collaboration across the Border was important for student opportunity.
"There will be things that Albury TAFE does cover that we don't, different trades are covered here that we don't, and vice versa," she said.
"We cover trades that they don't necessarily do. It really gives them the opportunity to see locally what is provided. Not just at Wodonga TAFE, not just at Albury TAFE, but locally as a whole.
"But also getting young people to stay in our local region is really important."