National Skills Week runs from 24 to 30 August in 2026, and it’s one of the easiest opportunities all year to get students talking about all things skill related along with apprenticeship and traineeship pathways. Shining a light on vocational education and training across Australia, celebrating the tradespeople, carers, technicians and creatives who took a different route into their careers; it could be the light bulb moment for any students who aren’t sure what to do after high school, or would like an alternative to university.
For careers advisors, it’s a great time to bring these possible pathways into the spotlight without having to build a campaign from scratch. Below are some ideas you can run with, whether you’ve got no budget at all or a small amount to spend online.
Why this week matters for your students
Apprenticeships and traineeships often get overlooked, not because they’re a poor choice, but because they’re not always as lauded as university pathways. Students hear about ATARs and university degrees from all kinds of places and people from quite an early age. If they don’t have family or friend connections familiar with vocational pathways, they’ll generally hear far less about the option of earning a wage from day one, working alongside experienced tradespeople, or training in fields like early childhood education, aged care or electrotechnology.
National Skills Week is the perfect time to redress that balance, even if it’s only for a week. It’s also backed by employers, training providers and both state and federal governments, so you won’t be promoting these pathways alone. You can point students and parents towards a national conversation that’s already happening, rather than trying to convince them yourself.
Free and low-budget ideas
If you’ve got zero budget to spend, you could start with career stories. Ask former students who took up an apprenticeship or traineeship to record a two-minute video on their phone, or even write a short paragraph, about what their week actually looks like. Play these during form time or pin them to a noticeboard. Real voices and sties that are relatable often land better than posters or professionals talking ever do.
Run a “guess the trade” quiz using riddles or photos of tools and equipment, with the answer sheet linking to where students could train for that career. This could work well as a whole-school activity during home group, assembly, or lunchtime, and takes relatively little preparation. The only costs (aside from your time) could be some printing if you go with paper answer sheets.
Another option could be to dedicate one lesson slot during the week to a Pathway Swap activity, where students research a trade or traineeship they know nothing about and present three facts to the class. It costs nothing, gets them talking, and could surprise them with how varied the career opportunities are.
Ideas using resources you can repurpose or buy
If you’ve got a small budget or some basic tools already at hand, a few more options open up. You could also set up a QR code trail around the school, with each code linking to a different career story or training pathway page. Free QR code generators are widely available, and you likely already have posters or display boards you can repurpose for this. Make it more exciting by adding clues to find the next code.
If you’ve got a little more to spend, you could consider ordering branded merchandise, like keyrings or wristbands, that direct students to a landing page created uniquely by your school for your students to visit for more information. If there’s not enough time to organise that, then maybe point them to the main Apprenticeships and Traineeships body in your local area, state, or territory. Some schools also use the week to invite a local training provider or recent apprentice in to deliver a short talk, which usually costs nothing beyond a cup of tea and a thank you.
Finally, if your school already runs a careers expo, open day or other kind of event, you don’t need to plan something new. Simply dedicate one display, stall or table to apprenticeship and traineeship pathways and providers, and use existing display materials rather than commissioning new ones. If events fall during National Skills Week that’s a bonus but you could always incorporate this idea at any stage of the school year. If there’s nothing coming school-wide, ask your Leadership team for permission to set up a small display / information area somewhere central in the school or even in the library.
Getting your event listed
If you’re going all out and planning a National Skills Week event at your school, it could be worth registering the event on the National Skills Week website. This puts your school on the national map of activities, and could help you connect with local training providers who might want to get involved too.
Ready to plan your week?
National Skills Week doesn’t need a big budget or months of planning. A few short videos, a well-placed QR code trail, or a single guest speaker could shift how your students think about apprenticeships and traineeships, and inspire a little more exploration. By starting some conversations and pointing students towards information if they’re curious enough to look, you could already be having some impact and see some engagement.
If you’d like more material to share with students during the week, you can find our full collection of apprenticeship and traineeship articles on our website here, and the updated Apprenticeships and Traineeships Guide will available in time for National Skills Week too.
