A foot in the door was all that cadet worker Cooper Nilsen needed.
The job seeker, fresh from high school, joined a cadetship program at Dandenong South-based caravan manufacturer Jayco in March 2022.
During the 12-month paid and full-time program, Cooper got hands-on at 12 diverse roles.
“I worked across saws, campers, lamination, campervans, caravans, pop tops, motorhomes, running gear and upholstery.
“Changing tasks weekly meant I was experiencing new and exciting challenges all the time.”
With the support of trainers and team leaders, he discovered a passion for electrics – a career pathway that he intends to pursue.
“I started to develop electrical experience while working on the wires in caravans and I enjoyed that the most.
“I’m able to crimp wires now and I know which wires need to be connected to each other.
“I also gained problem-solving skills while we were doing testing. When there were problems coming through the line, I used the skills I gained to fix these issues and make sure they didn’t happen again.”
A previously shy Cooper says he gained self-confidence along the way.
“I used to have some trouble talking to people.
“I think the program pushed me to go up to people and talk to them or ask questions and sometimes I’ll even have a chat with people as well.”
The cadetship program offers up to three spots a year.
After the program, Jayco will then place the graduate in a job internally, subject to whether the chosen pathway is available.
Details: jayco.com.au/cadetships
