Hunter high school students are getting a hands-on taste of the plumbing trade through a TAFE NSW program designed to help teenagers explore career options in high-demand industries.

The Start Your Future program saw students from six local schools, Mount View High, Lake Macquarie High, Callaghan College, Singleton High, Irrawang High and Maitland Grossmann High, attend TAFE NSW Maitland each Wednesday for an eight-week crash course in plumbing.

With plumbing listed as a national skills shortage and a “critical shortage” identified in regional NSW by the Master Plumbers Association, the program offers students an early pathway into a trade with strong job prospects. Students gained practical experience in roof plumbing, gas fitting, drainage and water systems.

“I’ve always liked getting my hands dirty and I never believed people who said only males could do a job like plumbing,” Maitland Grossmann High year ten student Anna Zoubov says.

“I didn’t know what plumbing involved until this program, and it’s now a job I’d really consider. There’s so much variety and demand is huge.”

TAFE NSW plumbing teacher James Anderson says the program gives students valuable exposure to an industry where fewer than one per cent of workers are female.

“It’s been great to see how enthusiastic and confident these students are,” he says.

“This kind of hands-on learning builds their skills and sparks interest in a rewarding trade. Hopefully, some will return to complete a full qualification.”

Master Plumbers NSW president Greg McElroy says initiatives like Start Your Future are vital to addressing the state’s skills gap.

“There’s enormous demand for plumbers right now and completing an apprenticeship opens up endless opportunities,” he says.

“The modern plumber isn’t just skilled, they’re business-minded and entrepreneurial. Programs like this help shape the next generation of tradespeople.”

Delivered in partnership with the NSW Department of Education’s Educational Pathways Program, Start Your Future introduces high school students to vocational training and helps them make informed decisions about their future careers.