Every year, more than 14,000 students choose to study a Vocational Education (VE) course at RMIT. Today we celebrate some of our hard-working VE graduates and share their unique stories.
From regional Victoria to the heart of Melbourne
Brayden Henderson’s RMIT journey began last year with the Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Mechanical). This year he proudly graduated from an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology, which has created a potential pathway in to a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.
After attending the Spark Engineering Camp in the middle of year 12, Brayden realised he could attend university without taking the traditional pathway of school, followed by a bachelor’s degree.
An information session at RMIT cemented his decision to move from Bendigo to Melbourne to study.
“RMIT was the only uni I knew of that had that pathway up from vocational education to higher education and I’d also heard that RMIT was highly regarded in the engineering field,” he said.
“I basically went for it and jumped into the deep end. I didn’t really know what to expect but I was lucky enough to have a great bunch of teachers to help me.”
Brayden said RMIT’s 3D printing facilities and reverse engineering software stood out, particularly with automation changing the world of work.
“I’d like to get into the mechanical design field, designing programs to design next generation, high-end components,” he said.
“Nowadays with lifelong learning you’re not stuck in the one career path. You can always go back to uni and do a different degree or a different diploma.”
Over the past three years, Brayden has received a Northcote Trust Scholarship and a Boeing Scholarship.
He said the scholarships helped pay for his rent and bills, meaning he could focus on his studies, and gain access to incredible industry experiences.
“I was able to do a guided tour of the Boeing factory – something that not many people get to see – as part of the scholarship,” he said.
“We had a big presentation and got to meet a lot of senior people. It was mind blowing.”
Age is just a number
Mature age student Grant Cox said studying at RMIT had always been a dream.
In what is his first, formal post-school qualification after years of working in television production, technical and event management, Grant has graduated with a Certificate IV in Live Production and Technical Services.
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