CIT hosts Try-A-Trade Day

Published: 08 Sep 2026

*Seventy female and gender-diverse Year 9 and 10 public high school students visited CIT Bruce to Try-A-Trade*

Seventy female and gender-diverse Year 9 and 10 public high school students visited CIT Bruce last week to Try-A-Trade, rolling up their sleeves, to try hands-on activities and explore careers in the trades.

For many students, it was their first experience using trade tools and equipment. Horticulture teacher Vanessa Hagon said it was fantastic to watch their confidence grow throughout the day.

"It's nice for them to see some female faces in trades and to know that it is a pathway for them," Vanessa said.

*CIT Educator Vanessa Hagon said that it was fantastic to watch the students grow in confidence throughout the day*

Vanessa said many students arrived unsure of what to expect but quickly became comfortable in the learning environment, gaining satisfaction from mastering new skills and using tools they had never handled before.

Plumbing teacher Mick Coulson said the day was about more than introducing students to a trade.

"Try-A-Trade Day is about opening the door to say we're not big and scary," Mick said.

*Plumbing educator Mick Coulson found that students enjoyed the hands-on experience they had throughout the day*

He also highlighted the friendships, teamwork and sense of community that can come with a trade career.

"We choose to go to work because we're usually working with mates."

By the end of the day, students left with new skills, fresh perspectives and a greater understanding of the many pathways available to them after school. For some, it may even have been the first step towards a future career in the trades.