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It was during a woodworking class in year 9 that Isabella Mavrogiannis discovered she might be better suited to a construction site than the classroom.
Her teacher noticed her budding skills with a saw and sander and asked whether she’d considered pursuing a future in carpentry.
“I said, ‘What’s carpentry?‘” laughs Mavrogiannis, now 18.
But that simple question set Mavrogiannis on an entirely different path from year 10, moving to the Northern College of the Arts and Technology (NCAT) in Preston and kickstarting her career in the trades at just 15.
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She remembers being captivated by the facilities and opportunities on offer at the school, gaining hands-on experience in automotive, electrical, plumbing, engineering, furniture making, painting, decorating and building and construction.
“I did not like being stuck in a classroom,” she says. “I was very stressed. My dad is a tradie and he was a bit iffy at first about me going into a male-dominated industry, but it was the right thing for me.”
During year 11 and 12, she’d drag herself out of bed at 3.30am every Wednesday for work placement with a domestic builder, as part of her VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM).
“I did everything from learning how to read all the plans, to standing the wall frames and installing windows once the slab was poured,” she says.
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“My boss taught me about everything, from wall frames on the first and second levels, to … demolition at some big homes around Malvern.”
Even Mavrogiannis’ core VCE VCM subjects were connected to the world she wanted to work in. In numeracy, for example, she could apply maths to real-life situations such as estimating a concrete pour or calculating the weekly cost of running a car.
The aspiring carpenter was passionate about using her skills to support those around her, whether it was mentoring other female students in trades through the Young Women in Trades and Technology (YWTT) group, attending industry expos or even helping with school building upgrades.
The impact she made on her school and wider community was among the reasons she received a VCE Premier’s Award for Outstanding VCE Vocational Major Students.
She was also recognised for displaying a high quality of work, strong leadership skills and a dedication to her learning and future.
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While she did not receive an ATAR, Mavrogiannis finished her VCE with a Certificate II in Building Construction and a carpentry apprenticeship with Hutchinson Builders, giving her a head start.
The biggest question she gets asked about entering a trade as a woman is: “Is it scary?”
“I tell people, no it’s not scary whatsoever,” she says.
“I’ve found everyone on site so helpful and supportive. And the number of females studying trades and technology at my old school has grown so much; we really wanted to get the word out.”
Continue this series
VCE Guide 2026Up next
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