Whether you're curious about health support, beauty, construction or another trade, Career Tasters offer a practical glimpse into real-world skills and industries.
Career Tasters aim to give students an opportunity to trial a trade that allows them to make an informed decision across their senior schooling years and beyond.
The pilot program aims to provide industry-led experiences, including in regional areas. While Career Tasters won’t be available to all schools in 2026, the program will be reviewed and expanded as it evolves. Students can also access industry connections through the Gateway to Industry Schools Program.
This initiative is proudly funded by the Queensland Government. To learn more about Career Tasters programs in 2026, visit the Department of Trade, Employment and Training website.
Each Career Taster runs over five days and the structure includes introductory activities focused on safety and career awareness, followed by immersive, hands on activities and projects that explore different vocational areas. This format allows students to engage with multiple industries, broadening their understanding of career pathways and helping them make more informed decisions about future study and employment.
Piloting in 2026 across Central Queensland, discover what opportunities are coming to CQUniversity with the Careers Tasters program.
Explore the fundamentals of health care and personal support through realistic simulations and clinical skill-building. This taster offers a meaningful introduction to the health and community services sector. Students participate in realistic simulations covering infection control, hygiene care, patient movement, and nutrition planning. This program is ideal for students interested in aged care, disability support, and health services, and provides a strong foundation for decision making regarding further study in these growing fields.
Focused on early childhood and educational settings, this taster helps students explore careers in childcare and education support through activities like lesson planning, observation writing, and mock classroom setups. Students learn about child development, behaviour management, and inclusive education with scenario-based learning and role plays helping build communication and planning skills, making this Taster ideal for those interested in working with children and supporting learning environments.
Work on real-world construction tasks such as building a timber-framed bench and assembling a copper sprinkler. Students learn to measure, cut, and assemble timber using hand and power tools, and explore plumbing techniques like pressure testing, PVC fabrication, and tap repair. This Taster builds spatial awareness, manual dexterity, and teamwork, offering a practical glimpse into careers in building, plumbing, and general construction.
Explore the future of tech through circuit building, soldering, and programming robotic vehicles using Arduino. These skills are central to careers in robotics, industrial automation, and electronics repair, but also intersect with fields such as defence technology, smart agriculture, and digital art installations. This Taster encourages students to think critically and creatively about how programmable systems shape modern industries, offering a launchpad for future exploration in STEM and innovation-focused sectors.
This taster introduces students to mechanical and fabrication trades through hands-on projects like gearbox reassembly and MIG welding. Students learn to interpret technical drawings, use hand tools safely, and explore logistics and hazard assessment. The experience builds precision, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, while showcasing career pathways in engineering, metal fabrication, and industrial logistics, with applications that extend beyond traditional manufacturing into creative and industrial sectors.
Students will delve into the inner workings of automotive systems, exploring engine components, electrical diagnostics, and fault-finding techniques using tools like multimeters and wiring boards. These hands-on experiences foster analytical thinking and mechanical problem-solving; skills that are essential in roles such as diesel and light vehicle mechanics, auto electricians, and heavy vehicle technicians. Beyond the transport and mechanical sectors, these capabilities also translate into fields like motorsport engineering, agricultural machinery maintenance, and even defence logistics, where vehicle systems and diagnostics play a critical role.
Discover the creative world of personal services with hands-on activities in hair styling, braiding, blow-drying, and makeup application. Photography sessions and design presentations enhance their understanding of client service and aesthetics. This program nurtures creativity, attention to detail, and basic interpersonal skills, while offering insight into careers in hairdressing, beauty therapy, and retail cosmetics.
Express your interest in CQU’s Career Taster Program for 2026.


Find out more about the Queensland Government's VET in Schools (VETiS) funding that allows students to study TAFE Qualifications while still in school.

Start TAFE Now (STN) program offers High School Students from year 10 the opportunity to study a range of TAFE courses while still at school.

Kick start a student's career and progress a student’s learning with a School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship.

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RTO Code: 40939
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