A new construction program is giving high school students hands-on experience in the industry.
For Adele Lunt, it's about getting the skills to help her dad.
"We've done a lot of repairs and renovations around the house, and next year we're going to start our own business," she said.
"We're going to buy houses and renovate them, and then resell them.
She explained the motivating factors behind her study.
"Later we want to start our own building company, which he'll pass on to me once he's too old to work.
"So dad was like, 'you need to get some experience!'"
Getting a jump-start in the industry
The Construction Pathways program at St Mary Mackillop College aims to prepare students for careers in the different construction fields, by giving them hands-on experience.
Students involved in the course are currently building a house in the school's specialised centre, with lessons in tiling and roofing.
Local construction company Built, who are building the new Arts facilities, are also running tours of the construction site for students in the program.
They said they also want to contribute to the next generation of construction workers.
Year 12 student Lachlan Collier said the Construction Pathways program helped him get work experience with a tiler.
"It was something I would never have thought of doing. I'm now looking at doing tiling next year when I finish school," he said.
"We get amazing opportunities from Built to come and see their worksites, and the nice facilities in the school to show what a real site is like.
"Before the class I had no idea really, I chose it to get an idea of what I wanted to do, and it led me into tiling."
Fixing the worker shortfall
The program is also hoping to address a national skills shortage affecting the construction industry.
More than 200 thousand additional workers are needed in Australia, with the scarcity expected to worsen in coming years.
Waiting times for renovations and building work remain blown out for many Canberrans.
School principal Michael Lee said it's about bringing the community into the school.
"I want the kids to experience work in the authentic manner rather than the abstract.
"It's in Built's contract that the students get to come onsite and help with some things," Mr Lee said.
"The workers can share valuable knowledge, take students through some of their processes, and show the site in action."
