Juggling Act Well Worth It

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday November 4, 2008

By KATELIN McINERNEY

LEAVING his last HSC exam yesterday, Scott Ring had that spring in his step that comes with the knowledge he was walking out into a full-time job.

The 19-year-old apprentice fitter and turner completed his HSC at the Australian Technical College in Coniston after searching fruitlessly for an apprenticeship for 12 months after leaving Year 10.

"I almost got an apprenticeship so many times - I'd done a pre-apprenticeship course at TAFE and applied for heaps of jobs, but just kept missing out," he said.

"On my first day at ATC I got an apprenticeship with Illawarra Training Group at the steelworks and it was great."

For the past year, Scott has juggled TAFE one day a week, school two days a week and working two days a week.

Although it had been hard getting back into the swing of studying and being in a classroom, Scott said he had coped with the hectic load.

"I'm just going to take some time off now and enjoy myself, then I start full time work next year," he said.

He completed his senior science exam yesterday and was looking forward to a few quiet beverages at home.

"The paper was easier than I expected and I felt like I will do better than I thought I was going to," he said.

Sample question

Describe the advantages of using a subdermal implant to administer a drug. (three marks)

Teacher's view

Bronwyn Darragh, Australian Technical College science teacher: On first inspection, the paper was fairly easy though there were a few tougher questions. I think it was fairly similar to last year's paper though there were a couple of questions that would trip students up.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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