Cranbourne’s Shelby Cooksley hopes to one day follow in the footsteps of her father who served in the Australian military.
She was one of eighteen young Australian’s from around the country who explored Defence training facilities in a week-long tour from March 5-9.
The tour, which promoted the Defence Technical careers, included visits to RAAF Base Wagga, Kapooka Army Barracks in Wagga Wagga and HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point.
Shelby said she’s now more excited than ever to fulfil her dream and fly Navy helicopters and aeroplanes.
“I’ve always had an interest in aviation so it was really interesting to see the different technical training facilities along the tour,” she said.
The tour exposed participants to the variety of technical roles and trades available within the Navy, Army and Air Force, allowing them to get up close to sophisticated equipment and experience living ‘on base’.
Born in South Africa, Shelby speaks Afrikaans and attended McClelland College in Frankston. She said she was inspired to join the ADF and follow in the footsteps of her father who previously served.
“The lifestyle really appeals to me. You’re able to learn new skills, meet new people and have so many amazing experiences. It’s a very unique and exciting career path,” Ms Cooksley said.
The group was joined by eight career advisers and teachers, who learned about the diverse range of trades on offer in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) so they can support young Australians to make informed decisions about their futures.
Chief Petty Officer Daniel Freebody of the Specialist Recruiter Trades, said tradespeople in the ADF develop their skills by receiving world class training.
“As a tradesperson in the ADF, you will work on some of the most technically advanced equipment and systems in the world,” he said.
“The work environment is varied and diverse so you’ll be exposed to a broad range of experiences not available in the civilian world.
“In the ADF you’ll also gain leadership skills and the ability to respond to and take on challenges you never thought you were capable of,” he said.
The Defence Technical Scholarship tour is an initiative of the Defence White Paper 2016 focused on recruiting young Australians with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills.
