Vito’s future burns bright

Vito Kaev is already planning his retirement – and he’s only 18. He’s the kind of person with enough drive and ambition to do extraordinary things in life and go the distance.

Vito Kaev is what you’d call a real go-getter.

At 18, he already has his own welding business working alongside his dad.

He’s in the process of doing his Certificate II in Engineering Studies and plans to one day own a lucrative property investment portfolio.

“My dream is to retire as soon as possible,” says Vito.

From a young age, Vito became interested in welding.

His father operates his own tiling business and used to operate a cabinet making business.

Over the years he would introduce Vito to other family friends who were also in a trade.

“I’d see the projects they were working on and that sparked an interest in me,” says Vito. “I wasn’t really interested in tiling but I saw welding and just kind of stuck with it.”

While completing Year 12 at Beaumaris Secondary College, Vito enrolled in Chisholm’s Certificate II in Engineering Studies pre-apprenticeship.

He would do one day a week at Chisholm, then spend the other four days at high school doing his usual Year 12 studies.

The pre-apprenticeship course covers both fabrication and mechanical electives and is a great introduction into engineering studies.

Vito enjoyed the combination of classwork and practical, hands-on work.

He says the course is a great taster for those looking to get into an engineering trade.

“They show you what you need to learn, the tasks and then you can weld once you can actually use the tools properly,” he says.

“It’s a great way to know if you want to do this sort of work.”

Vito found the teachers to be approachable and knowledgeable.

“The teachers and instructors were really good at their job,” he says. “They have plenty of experience.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, there’s someone who knows how to do it and you can ask them straight away.”

Vito also liked the fact that his classmates were motivated to be there.

“Everyone is in class for a reason,” he says. “They enjoy it and that’s what they want to learn, so it’s a really good environment for learning.”

Vito nailed the pre-apprenticeship and was named Secondary Student of the Year at the 2023 Chisholm Education Awards.

Meanwhile, his welding business is ticking along nicely and he’s done some exciting jobs, like making fences for people’s homes in Brighton, as well as furniture, tables, stair cases and balustrades for clients.

On top of this, Vito renovates homes with his family, who are originally from Macedonia. Aside from welding, Vito’s other passions are cars and motorbikes.

“I want to later on find work in real estate and grow my skills, knowledge, as well as experience to always have career options available,” he says.