Northern Beaches’ local Leila de Young has been named TAFE’s Apprentice of the Year, with the former Electrotechnology student honoured at the TAFE NSW Excellence Awards.

Gaining a Certificate III in Electrotechnology in 2018, de Young has taken on an apprenticeship as part of her HSC. The newly crowned Apprentice of the Year opted to pursue a vocational qualification in order to be accepted into university.

“I had no idea what career path I wanted to follow and couldn’t see the logic in choosing an expensive degree that I was not 100 percent sure I would stick with,” de Young says.

“The course runs for three years, with a mix of theory and practical units covering all essential electrical concepts, such as complex wiring rules calculations, testing electrical installations to ensure compliance, and workplace safety.

“A couple of integral conversations I had with both my father, a builder, and an electrician at a high school careers expo, introduced me to the construction world and I realised that there were other options apart from the traditional university route.”

De Young’s time as an apprentice has been spent at the Curl Curl-based Dvine Smart Homes, which she attributes as being key to enhancing her confidence and abilities.

“I started my apprenticeship two weeks out of high school and attained a nationally recognised trade qualification at the age of 21. They nurtured me at every stage of my learning and never made me feel silly if I had questions.”

A whitepaper released by The Productivity Commission in 2021 indicates that women make up just two percent of qualified tradies worldwide. This issue is certainly common in Australia, with women regarded as an untapped market within the document.

The launch of the Women in Trades program by the NSW Government has resulted in more women taking up programs at TAFE, similar to de Young’s story. 

“This qualification will keep me highly employable for the rest of my working life in a forever-growing, essential industry with endless room for growth,” de Young continues.

Off the back of her studies at TAFE and subsequent apprenticeship, de Young has now enrolled at Sydney University, studying architecture. Her passion for construction has seen her become a strong advocate for vocational training.