Want to be a carpenter? South West Institute of TAFE
- SeanAustralia
- South West Institute of TAFE, Australia
- Carpentry
- Vocational Study (Certificates and Diplomas)
- 2010
Tafe is alright, it's better to go to tafe than to work long days. We need shorter days at tafe then it would be the best. Most important advice is to try to learn something. Lots of guys around you will tell you it's a waste of time being there but if you actually listen to what's being taught it's not bad.
You just have to be an apprentice and you get straight in. Well, actually, one of my friends had to wait because there were too many people here, so he got sent to a different place.
We get money from the government I think, there's a certain amount you get. Something like $3k.
It's pretty easy. There aren't really any assignments to do and you get a few tests. The best is the practical stuff of course but you've gotta know some of the basic theory first. It's 1 day of work and 4 working, although I think you can do a full week every so often instead. But that's too full on for me, I'd rather spread it out. The teacher is a cool guy, he knows what he's talking about and is a carpenter himself.
This place is close to home so it's much better than work that way, because for work I sometimes have to drive pretty far. Try to get in to a tafe close to you and it will make it better. The people are good, and there's shopping centres and stuff around, you'll drive here probably. I'm not around enough to see much more of the campus life like clubs and societies, and I dont think i'd join them if there were any anyway.
I've got a job, but this course helps me in my job. Ive applied things I learned from tafe to my job. There's no better teacher than on the job work experience for trade, but then its good to have had a practice of it off site where you wont do as much damage or hurt yourself.