Building the Future of our Region

Thank you to all of the trades, industry partners and event supporters who helped make our inaugural Tradies Toolbox Roadshow at Galen Catholic College, Wangaratta such a success. Your willingness to invest your time, share your knowledge and connect with local students is helping shape the future of our regional construction industry. The enthusiasm from both students and industry reinforced just how valuable these conversations are.

We're now looking forward to our next Roadshow at Wangaratta High School on Thursday, 13 August 2026. We still have a limited number of places available for trades and construction businesses to participate in our one-hour morning session.

The construction sector and related trades across our region are well positioned for growth. Over the next three to four years, businesses of all sizes will be looking to recruit trainees and apprentices who are currently sitting in our classrooms today. Don't wait until students are seeking to enter the workforce, start connecting now with future apprentices in years 8, 9 and 10, before someone else builds that relationship first.

We believe the greatest opportunity for our industry is to build relationships before students leave school.

"We know where the students are. While our Roadshows are designed to give young people genuine exposure to careers in the trades, they also create a valuable opportunity for businesses to connect with the workforce of tomorrow. Every apprentice starts as a student. By engaging early, we're not just showcasing career pathways, we're helping local businesses build the skilled workforce our region will need for years to come."

The Tradies Toolbox Roadshow is about creating meaningful connections between education and industry, ensuring our young people can see exciting career opportunities close to home while giving employers the chance to inspire and identify future apprentices and trainees. We’ll also arrange work experience for weekly stints to help you identify who might be a good fit for your team as an apprentice later on.

If you're a trade or construction business and would like to be part of our Wangaratta High School event, we'd love to hear from you. Register here: https://www.netracksllen.org.au/about-3

Together, we're building more than careers—we're building the future of our region.