Thinking about doing a traineeship while at school but feeling a bit unsure of what that will look like? We spoke to Mike who’s currently doing a traineeship in Information, Digital Media and Technology while he’s at school. Hear his thoughts and feelings as well as his recommendations for others thinking of doing the same!
My Education
Mike’s story
Transcript
Doing a traineeship while at school – Mike’s story
[Super] Question: Tell us about yourself
Mike: Hey, I’m Mike. I’m in my last year of high school (yay! haha) and I’m doing a traineeship as part of a Cert 3 in Information, Digital Media and Technology.
[Super] Question: How’d you get started in your traineeship?
Mike: Yeah so, I’ve always been a bit obsessed with computers… I’m like the ‘go-to’ in my family whenever something goes wrong haha. But yeah – I’ve been working on computers for as long as I can remember – building ‘em, fixing ‘em, you name it.
I ended up getting offered a high school traineeship as part of a Cert 3 which was pretty sweet. So essentially, the vocational college that offers my traineeship is my RTO and I’m employed by my school.
[Super] Question: What has your traineeship involved?
Mike: There’s a bunch of units – like 17 in total that I’ve gotta do to get qualified – so it’s pretty full on. The traineeship’s one day a week instead of school, but I was able to drop a subject so I could catch up on other work.
So far, I’ve been on the IT help desk and been the one checking all computer docks, projectors and wireless connections and basically fixing problems as they come up.
[Super] Question: What have you enjoyed most about the traineeship?
Mike: I reckon the best part was probably setting up computers for students earlier this year. I got to meet a bunch of people and I got really comfortable talking to students, teachers and parents.
And yeah…in the end, being able to work in a bunch of areas I wouldn’t usually work in has made me 100% certain that I want an IT career.
[Super] Question: Have there been any challenges?
Mike: Yeah for sure. Sometimes connecting with my trainers online was a bit hard, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
I’d also get a little bit nervous about doing stuff for the first time, but the guys in the IT department were really great to deal with… like super helpful and supportive, so yeah, I wasn’t afraid to ask for help when I needed it. I really felt like a part of the team.
[Super] Question: What recommendations would you give to someone thinking about doing a traineeship?
Mike: Um – I’d say try and have some one-on-one contact with your trainer. Yeah – it’s like super valuable to have that relationship.
I guess, at the end of the day, make sure you’re doing something that you are really, really passionate about, because there’s a hefty amount of work involved and you might need to drop a subject. But, if you do something that you love, you’re gonna find it rewarding.
