For 21-year-old Bridie Searle, being named the Trainee of the Year at the 2023 Australian Training Awards was just the start of becoming a champion for vocational education and training (VET).

Since taking out the top gong for delivering excellence in her traineeship at Thales Australia and completing her Certificate IV in Project Management Practice, Bridie has founded her own business, ReadySkills, and recently launched her own book.

Bridie said she founded ReadySkills to deliver to young people life skills education that spanned across a variety of fields, including how to change tyres and budget, preparing for interviews and gaining qualifications.

In her book, ‘Life, Work & All the Things I Wish Someone Taught Me’, Bridie shares her experience and learnings as a teenager who left home to join the workforce.

“Everywhere I go, students tell me the same thing,” Bridie said. “They’re expected to manage money, apply for jobs, handle workplace conflict, understand tax, rent a house and make big life decisions.

“Having access to real-world lived advice makes a huge difference as they step into adulthood.”

The book aims to smoothen the transition from school life to adulthood and explores topics such as starting a first job, understanding finances, building confidence and resilience and paving career direction.

“This book isn’t about having everything figured out,” Bridie said. “It’s about sharing the lessons that help people feel capable, confident and ready for what comes next.”

Bridie also spends time as a VET Ambassador for the NSW Department of Education where she promotes VET pathways within the Educational Pathways Program and through Regional Training Services, promoting the endless opportunities available in VET for learners at all stages of life.

Learn more about Bridie’s work here: bridiesearle.com