Logan Dodds and Jesse James (the Trade Collective) hit the road and toured the Nelson Tasman high schools – down to Murchison and Tapawera, out to Golden Bay and Motueka and then Richmond and Nelson. They delivered a super fun, inspiring, motivating and informative presentation to students on the benefits of a career within the trade sector. They have been touring the country and spreading the word now for six years and are coming up to their 100th school visit!
Logan left school at the end of year 12 and Jesse finished at the end of Year 11, and both have found their passion in trade work. Jesse had to overcome challenges like ADD and dyslexia. However, with hard work and determination, he went onto complete his plumbing apprenticeship, travel the world, gain a skydiving license, and start his own business. Logan has played rugby, travelled 38 countries, does freelance content creation, and has a social media audience of over 60,000.
Having a trade as their foundation has opened up lots of opportunities for them and enabled them to pursue their out of work interests also.
During their presentation, Logan and Jesse emphasised the various trade qualifications and the training required to achieve them. They highlighted the benefits of pursuing a trade career, such as earning while learning, saving money, no student loan, and perhaps becoming your own boss. They also showcased inspiring stories of women succeeding in traditionally male-dominated trades, like Nikita the Plumber and Pauline the Electrician. Attitude, good work ethic and punctuality were highlighted as essential traits for success in the industry.
One student from Motueka High said:
“It changed the stigma about trades being a last resort, and instead introduced the perspective that having a practical and well-paying job under your belt meant you can enjoy doing things you love”.
