CQU’s Career Taster gives John a flying start into heavy vehicle industry
By Greg Chapman
John Lambert-Smith’s interest in aviation has been taken to new heights thanks to CQUniversity’s Heavy Vehicle Systems & Diagnostics Career Taster program.
John recently participated in the program which aims to help secondary students explore vocational pathways and make informed decisions about their future study and career options.
The 16-year-old said he joined the program after hearing about it at school, as it appealed to his wider interest in aviation.
“I’m interested in aviation maintenance, and the Career Taster gave me a good in depth look into engines and electric circuits,” he said.
Conducted at CQU Rockhampton North’s School of Mining, the five-day program, taught the students about workplace health and safety, engine assembly, and auto-electrical aspects.
John said he enjoyed learning how a four-stroke engine worked, and how to wire a circuit for taillights, brake lights, and indicators.
“It was a great experience to go through the daily life of someone who has a career in heavy vehicle maintenance, and really see what they do,” he said.
“I will definitely look into further study with CQU as this has made me more interested in heavy vehicle maintenance.”
John’s father, Phillip, who also has a mechanical background, praised the Career Taster program.
“The career taster program is absolutely terrific. It opens up opportunity and practical applications to younger students. John really enjoyed it,” Phillip said.
“These courses are a brilliant idea. As a mechanical tradesperson myself, I can certainly see the benefits of exposing students to this environment.
“I know the course was aimed towards the mining/ automotive industry, but this course has a much wider audience than that. John's primary interest is aviation, and this course absolutely ticked all the boxes for his aviation mechanical knowledge.”
John added that he hopes to pursue further study at CQU.
Career Tasters is available to eligible Year 10 students across Queensland and is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and Queensland Government.
Applications are currently open for October and November. Head to the Career Tasters website to explore the full schedule of courses.
