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It’s the little girl’s delight- snooping through her mum’s closet, slipping her miniature feet into her mother’s seemingly oversized work shoes. It’s the young boy’s dream, gazing up to his father, dreaming of his future career as whatever his daddy does.

But dress up doesn’t end with childhood. WorldSkills Australia has brought it back. This time, for high school students.

Western Sydney’s largest Try a Trade is coming to Mt Druitt’s Kevin Betts Stadium for two days only – 27th & 28th June 2011.

Through a hands-on, interactive experience, the WorldSkills Australia Try a Trade program educates 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade, NSW students about the realm of trade careers available. Established in 2005 in response to the country’s overwhelming shortage of skilled workers, Try a Trade provides students with the opportunity to meet and greet professional trade representatives from a variety of skill careers.

Try a Trade visits schools across NSW, free of charge, connecting tradespersons with schools and students alike. The hour- long program features unique booths manned by various trade professionals. Two or three students visit each booth at a time, allowing for direct, one-on-one interaction.

The Western Sydney Try a Trade will cover the following industries:

• Bricklaying
• Automotive
• Spray Painting
• Panel Beating
• Hairdressing & Beauty
• Plumbing
• Nursing
• Floristry
• Childcare
• Commercial Cookery
• Carpentry
• Welding
• Horticulture
• Electrical
• CNC Machining

And it’s not just the career talk that takes place; true to its name, students are in fact given the ability to try the trade. At the carpentry booth, for example, students make a corkboard, while the hairdressing station puts students to work, shaving beards and colouring and styling hair.

With reports revealing the high demand for builders, engineers and tradespersons, the Try a Trade program permits students a peek into skill education and training, motivating students to consider a variety of options if university is not a part of their plan.”I just don’t want to be in an office all my life. I’d rather be outside getting my hands dirty,” 15- year- old, Daniel Brinkworth said in an ABC interview.