Not sure what to do after school? Taking up a trade will let you build your way into a better life. Explore the leads below!
Follow
@melbournechippychick (TikTok & Instagram)
Carpenter by day, and CEO/influencer by night. Your go-to guide for life on-site as a female tradie in Australia.
@cameronstreeter44 (Instagram & TikTok)
Creates funny skits on life as a construction worker!
@siteinspection (YouTube, TikTok & Instagram)
Watch independent building inspections of $1.5 million homes, to houses that need more love. He offers comprehensive explanations on structure, hidden defects and what really happens behind the drywall.
Games
The Sims 3 or 4 (STEAM)
This award-winning game lets you build your dream life through sims, but the main event is build mode. You can get ‘hands-on’ and build a house from scratch, whether that be custom woodwork finish to fine-tuning the interior design.
Cities: Skylines (STEAM)
Released in 2015, this simulation game is still worth the hype. Build and maintain cities while they expand, with a focus not only on construction but water, electricity, police, fires, healthcare and much more.
House Flipper (STEAM)
This gaming simulation gets you to buy, repair and remodel houses. Become a one-person renovation crew!
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
An alternative to VCE & HSC
- Certificate II in Building and Construction Preapprenticeship
- Certificate II in Construction Pathways
- Certificate II in Plumbing (Preapprenticeship)
- Certificate II in Civil Construction
- Certificate II in Furniture Making Pathways
Electives checklist
- Mathematics (any)
- Physics
- Product design and technology
- Systems engineering
- English
This article was first published in Careers with STEM: Trades 2026
