[On-screen text: Ashley, Heavy vehicle diesel mechanic]
Ashley: It's easy to start an apprenticeship because there is a lot of support coming out of school to move into the workforce as an apprentice. I signed up for this work experience and I found out about two weeks beforehand that I was going to be working on highway trucks. So even though at the start of year 12, I decided I wanted to become an apprentice, I still completed my VCE studies and earned a 95 ATAR in my year 12 exams.
It wasn't until the start of year 12, when I was kind of forced to think about what's after this year, earning that ATAR didn't actually make me reconsider my decision, because I knew that I could find success in a career without a university degree.
Part of being an apprentice is you're constantly mentored by the people around you, at a workshop level, because you're working next to the people who are qualified and they're passing on that knowledge and experience.
Something that's not talked about enough when you become an apprentice is you actually get to learn while you earn. And while an apprentice wage isn't the biggest wage you'll earn in the world, I never had more money than when I was a first-year apprentice, because it was the first time I was earning a full time pay cheque all while I was ultimately just completing my post high school study.
Something I'd say to other women who are interested in entering a male dominated industry. You've got to have confidence in yourself and so your gender doesn't have to define your role in a workplace. Entering a workforce allowed me to actually learn some skills about what it means to be part of a business, big or small, and learn some workplace skills that I know that I could carry with me into any career role I wanted to take.
[On-screen text: Learn and earn. vic.gov.au/learnandearn]
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