New skills are lit

Two secondary school students in Roxby Downs have swapped the classroom for the workshop, walking away with more than just new skills.

They left with their own handmade fire pits and a real taste of what a future in trades could look like.

Hosted at our Olympic Dam fabrication workshop, the work experience placement gave the students a front-row seat to life on site. Under the guidance of the fabrication crew, they got stuck into real tasks, learned how to work safely in an industrial environment, and saw first-hand what a day on the tools actually involves.

The highlight, building their own fire pits from scratch, turned theory into something tangible. It was hands-on, a bit of trial and error, and a lot of pride when they saw the final result.

HSE Advisor Saeed Hamed said the experience is about more than just a few days in a workshop.

“You can see the shift straight away when they start getting involved. It clicks that this could actually be a pathway for them,” Saeed said.

“And when they take something home that they’ve built themselves, that’s when it really sticks.”

The placement also opened the door to a range of trades and roles across the workshop, giving the students a broader view of career options they may not have considered before.

Just as importantly, it introduced them early to strong safety habits and expectations that are critical in the industry.

For these two students, it started with a simple placement. It ended with new skills, new confidence, and something solid to show for it.