Work Experience: Crafting Careers with Care
At Adelaide Architectural Joinery, nothing is off-the-shelf — not the work, and not the training. That’s exactly why Year 10 student Will jumped at the opportunity to complete work experience at the boutique cabinetmaking and joinery workshop, where projects are built from scratch, and every detail matters.
From gluing curved columns to assisting with a fully custom wine cabinet destined for a private home, Will spent his week immersed in real-world, high-spec joinery, the kind you won’t find in most workshops. “I’ve learned so many things in just a few days,” Will said. “It builds on what we’ve learned at school, but it’s the real thing.” That practical exposure is exactly what workshop supervisor Peter believes students need, and what sets St Patrick’s Technical College apart. “Work experience is how they [young people] figure out what it [a workplace] is really like” he explained. “You’ve got to walk the floor, make mistakes, ask questions, see how things are really done.”
Peter should know. He’s been in the industry since his teens and now runs the respected joinery business, which has been operating in Adelaide for more than 30 years. He worked his way up from mass-production cabinetmaking into high-end, custom work — a path that took years. What today’s students are experiencing in a single week, he says, would have been unthinkable back then.
“These kids are getting exposed to it now, at 16. They’re lucky. Back then, I didn’t get near anything like this until I’d been in the trade for years.” He says the difference with St Pat’s students is clear from the start. “The kids who come in from St Pat’s, they’ve had some training, and you can tell. They know how to handle tools, they’ve been taught safety, and they’re more confident in a workshop environment. That matters.”
What impressed him most about Will was his quiet initiative and curiosity. “Will’s shown real initiative. He speaks up when something’s not right, asks questions, takes things on board. Some kids just have a bit of natural talent — and he’s got a bit of that.” In a workshop where nothing is pre-fabricated and every project is built from the ground up, students like Will are getting a rare glimpse into the complexity, creativity, and craftsmanship of the trade. “We’re not the cookie-cutter cabinetmaker,” Peter said. “Everything here is custom. You’ve got to stop and think — and that’s not for everyone.”
But for students like Will, the challenge is the reward. He’s already completed other placements and is narrowing down where he wants to take his career next. “This is the path I think I want to go down,” he said. “And I feel confident to do it again.”
Thanks to high-quality industry connections and a school that values real-world readiness, St Pat’s is helping students like Will build the future…one cabinet (or curved column) at a time.
