High school students will be able to build work skills with the team at CPB Contractors under a new holiday and after-school program
CPB Contractors’ Victorian business unit is piloting a program that will provide students with information about careers in construction
‘Teens at CPB Contractors’ will offer students valuable insights into the construction industry during school holidays, giving them a firsthand look at potential career paths.
The program is being piloted by CPB Contractors’ Victorian business unit and is offered to high school students in years 10 to 12.
While durations vary, the leading contractor says that through various work readiness activities students can build real work proficiencies such as professional communication skills and active listening, goal setting, creating a CV and understanding LinkedIn.
Participating students build skills in their disciplines of choice – engineering, sustainability, finance, commercial, human resources and design during the school holidays and structured after-school hours work.
The Victorian CPB Contractors team can work with the schools of program participants, enabling them to complete employment-based learning pathways, in the form of a School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT), that is completed in addition to their VCE or Vocational Major.
Recent participant Hendrix Ostaszkiewicz says he has always interest in construction, as both his dad and grandfather work in the industry.
“I’ve always been interested in construction, and when my dad told me about the program, I was excited to take part,” he says.
“This program has opened my eyes to future pathways and boosted not just my understanding of the industry but also my confidence.
Hendrix is continuing to work casually with CPB Contractors over school holidays alongside his father, construction manager Pete Ostaszkiewicz, and grandfather, senior project engineer Mirek Ostaszkiewicz.
Hendrix’s father Pete been delighted with the outcome.
“My dad, me and now my son are all working for CPB Contractors at the same time, what are the chances,” Pete says.
CPB Contractors operates a range of business unit and project-based school and career engagement programs across Australia and New Zealand, which focus on empowering and inspiring students from all backgrounds to explore the career opportunities that the construction industry offers.