In crisp new neon uniforms untainted by the working life that awaits, the newest crop of BlueScope employees sit quietly, on their best behaviour, at a welcome event at Wollongong TAFE on Monday.
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The steel giant has taken on 20 apprentices and 16 cadets in its most recent round of recruitment.
Despite dwindling opportunity in the industry at large, BlueScope's manager of organisation development, Jelena Kralic, said the intake was on par with the past five years.
"Although it is a difficult economic period, we're committed to training, and that's why management have made the commitment that they will keep taking on the apprentices and the cadets," Ms Kralic said.
Wollongong's St Mary's College graduate Irene Kyriacou is the lone female apprentice.
Six of the cadets are female in the latest cohort.
Miss Kyriacou secured an electrical apprenticeship after years of taking an interest in the work of her electrician father.
"Dad knows it's dirty and he was a bit hesitant about this at first - I guess he didn't want his little girl doing stuff like that and he'd prefer me to go to uni," Miss Kyriacou said.
"But now that I've got [the position] and he knows what I'm doing, he's really excited. It's an achievement, to have your foot in with BlueScope."
All the new apprentices and five of the cadets are taking up mechanical or engineering roles.
They will begin an intensive training program at TAFE Illawarra said to cover six months' work in eight weeks.
Ryan Jut, 18, travelled from Coffs Harbour to take up his cadetship in mechanical engineering. "It's a brilliant offer: guaranteed employment for seven years, plus a degree at the end of it," he said.
"Financially it's the best way to go that I can think of. You finish work without HECS, without debt hanging over you."
Apprentices are technically employed by HVTC Illawarra and hosted by BlueScope.
The cadets attend the University of Wollongong and are directly employed by BlueScope.
