About this program
The Vocational Explorer and Taster Experience program is free and designed to help Year 9 and 10 students from Victorian Government schools explore a range of vocational study areas and career pathways. The program provides hands-on workshops and industry insights to support you as you explore your areas of interest before subject selections for Year 11 and 12.
You will attend workshops delivered on Swinburne University of Technology’s eastern campuses in Wantirna and Croydon.
Please contact your school’s Career Practitioner if you have any questions.
Available workshops
Care economy workshop
- Allied Health: step into the shoes of someone with mobility or dexterity challenges and learn how Allied Health Assistants help people get back to doing everyday activities through hands-on therapy.
- Early Childhood: explore a day in the life of an early childhood educator through fun, hands-on activities that show how they support young children’s learning and development.
- Community Service: take part in a simulation where you will see how workers support people in need by connecting them with the right services and resources.
Building and construction workshop
- Carpentry: learn to use hand tools to build your own mobile phone holder.
- Plumbing: practice installing water pipes inside walls, simulating how water supply, waste and vents are set up in real buildings.
Structural and technical trades workshop
- Electrical: construct a torch featuring an LED in your chosen colour and calculate the resistor values needed to ensure it functions correctly.
- Engineering: learn spot welding techniques by fabricating a small box from 0.9mm steel sheet and start developing practical skills in material preparation, spot welding setup and quality control.
- Bricklaying: learn step by step how to spread mortar, butter and lay bricks in a straight line.
Care economy workshop
- Early Childhood: join us for a Story Time Workshop, where you will experience firsthand how educators use storytelling to spark curiosity and support children's learning as well as development. Make playdough, slime and craft rope dolls!
- Allied Health: learn about real career pathways and experience what it is like to guide a client through a rehabilitation exercise using resistance bands. You will also get a glimpse into the language of healthcare with a quick medical terminology game!
- Community Service: a focused case study approach which will allow you to analyse real life scenarios. Step into the role of a youth or community worker through a series of hands-on activities designed to build empathy, communication and problem-solving skills.
Trades workshop
- Carpentry: learn how to build a wall frame step by step. This will involve hand-nailing timber pieces whilst understanding work plans, Workplace Health & Safety and a site tour.
- Plumbing: explore problem-solving techniques to diagnose issues by locating a water main to work out where the hidden leak is beneath the surface.
- Bricklaying: learn step by step how to spread mortar, butter and lay bricks to construct a brick pyramid wall.
- Electrical: build a torch with an LED in your favourite colour and learn how to make it work.
- Engineering Trades: learn metal working techniques in constructing a welded dice.
Wantirna campus
Croydon campus
Frequently asked questions
- Lunch and a water bottle
- Pen or pencil
- (Optional) Money if you wish to use the campus canteen or vending machines
- Clothing Requirements (Trades students only)
If you are attending any of the Trades workshops:
- Please wear long pants and a long-sleeve shirt if you are able. These need to be cotton with no plastic prints on the front / sleeves.
- If you have steel-toe boots, please wear them. If you don’t, please ensure you were long socks and bring a spare pair. We will provide PPE for students who do not have these items.
Keep exploring
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Vocational Education and Training at Swinburne
Practical and hands-on TAFE courses to help turn your passion into a career.
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Free TAFE courses in 2026
Free TAFE is a Victorian Government initiative that covers tuition fees for eligible students to study one of more than 80 qualifications in high priority areas.
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