Ballarat Christian College students build two cubby houses for the primary school area

For the past year and a half, Nathaniel and fellow students at Ballarat Christian College have worked towards constructing two cubby houses in the primary school area.

Nathaniel said the project, undertaken as a part of a Certificate II in Building and Construction, has given him a clearer idea of what he'd like to do after he completes school.

"If I didn't try my building and construction work, I would have no idea what I was going to do in my future," he said.

"The past year-and-a-half has been very fruitful for me in my future career path."

The two cubby houses, a culmination of two years of hands-on work by year 10-12 students, have been enjoyed by primary school pupils since opening last week.

Ballarat Christian College teacher and VET trainer Malcolm Solomano said offering courses like this was important for students who were hands-on learners.

"When they get to the end of year 12, they've got an idea that 'yep, plumbing's for me' or 'yep, landscaping's for me'," he said.

"It's a case of learning in a safe environment to find what they're interested in."

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Throughout the course, students learnt all aspects of construction, from conception of design to the finished product.

Mr Solomano said the pre-apprenticeship course gave students "a taster" of trade work - including using power tools, plumbing and electrical experience.

"The skills that they develop along the way is far more important than the actual finished product," he said.

Not only this, Mr Solomano said the physical nature of the class work gave students space to develop creativity and problem-solving skills.

"If you look at all the research, they're saying kids are spending far too much time inside - I think that if you get them outside for a start, that's good," he said.

Past students of the course have gone on to work in construction or trade jobs.

As for Nathaniel? Looking to the future, he's considering becoming a plumber, a ranger or a landscaper.

Whatever he chooses, he said the confidence gained from this learning laid the groundwork for what was to come.

"Something that I've learned about myself would probably be how confident I can get working," he said.

"At the start of this, I really was not much in the way of confidence, I always stood behind and watched other people do it. But as the year progressed ... now I am very, very eager to get into whatever comes next."

Now this project is finished, Mr Solomano said course students would set their sights on building a garden shed and a bench.

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