A Day in the Life of a Young Apprentice Working in Construction

Gain a career with a growing demand 👷

This article is in partnership with Construction Pathways.

Keen to start a job that you can do while you’re still at school and earn while you learn?

You might think you know what construction is all about. But construction isn’t just about building, there are heaps of different avenues you can take in the construction industry you might not even know about.

You could be like Jack and earn money while still at school with skill enhancement and certifications through training organisations with funded training. Or there are cadetship and grad programs you could get stuck into.

If you want to know more, 17-year-old Jack walked us through his day from start to finish as a full-time apprentice working in the construction industry.

4:15am – Wake up and drive to boss’s house.

Working in construction means some early morning starts but it also means finishing earlier and avoiding the drain of a typical 9-5. Jack said that he simply couldn’t see himself sitting in an office all day and wanted a career that’s more hands-on.

“So pretty much, I'll wake up probably about quarter past four in the morning and then go drive to my boss's house,” he told Student Edge.

“I'll jump in his car with him and then we'll pretty much drive out to Ipswich with each other and start work there.

“We'll get to the job site first and then we'll do a little walkthrough, see what we need.”

11am – Have lunch.

The next part of his day is having lunch where Jack tells us about the opportunities available working in construction. He tells us about the networking opportunities available and meeting new people that helped mentor him in his career.

“I just feel like there's more opportunities in the trade. There’s just different pathways you can take and it sort of helps free up your mind.

“It keeps you busy all the time and, especially if you're a hands-on sort of person, it's definitely a career to take.”

“You definitely meet some pretty cool people in it that can help you in your career and help you make a lot of money and be successful in what you do.”

1pm – Finish up for the day.

An early start means an early finish for Jack, and he tells us about how he started in Year 10, working and studying at the same time meaning he could save while still in high school.

“So I was able to earn while I learned so I started my apprenticeship in grade 10 and kept working through it while also getting my Year 12 certificate.

“It helped me save up some money for when i finish school and get a little bit of a head start.”

Interested in learning more about starting a career in construction? Head to the Construction Pathways website to find different pathways, training opportunities and more. Find your pathway into a hands-on career with heaps to offer.