TEENAGERS are getting a taste of trades as part of a project that aims to build career skills.
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Lucas Heights Community School has launched a program that gives students on-the-job training while studying.
The Australian Brick and Blocklaying Training Foundation donated bricks to the school so students can get hands-on experience in bricklaying — an identified skills shortage trade.
A group of years 9-12 students were recently part of the three-day work experience program called Step Out.
Students are constructing the permanent fixture — a wall in school grounds.
It is being built near the school office, and will be an outdoor area for staff morning tea breaks.
The program is part of the NSW public schools' School to Work program.
It encourages teachers to explore flexible, future-focused potential after-school paths for senior students to support a variety of career choices.
In its recent budget announcement the state government stated it would create 150,000 new jobs in the next four years.
It will spend $2.3 billion into the vocational education and training sector in 2015-16 to address a shortage of workers with skills in key areas such as trades.
Bricklayers are among the occupations on the state's skills shortage list.