Supplying steel to students in rural NSW

At Edcon Steel, we love supporting the next generation, particularly when it comes to steel and metalwork.

We recently supplied engineering steel to the Technology and Applied Studies (TAS) department at Gilgandra High School. We spoke to Russell, the head teacher of TAS, about how he teaches the students the skills they need for steel and metal work and the value of Edcon Steel’s online ordering system.

Gilgandra High School

Gilgandra is a town in the Orana region of New South Wales, just north of Dubbo. Russell Woollams has been the Head TAS teacher of the local high school for decades.

“I’ve been a TAS teacher for a long time, probably close to 30 years,” Russell explains.

“I’m the main metalwork teacher here at Gilgandra High School, and we offer metalwork to students in year 9 right through to year 12.

It continues to be a really popular subject in our area,

We find that students have more opportunities outside of school to engage in metal-related activities, whether fixing things on the farm or making things in the shed, particularly things that can’t be purchased easily.”

Developing and encouraging metalworking skills

At the subject’s core, the focus is on developing and encouraging metalworking skills in the students by showing them the wide range of industries, materials, and elements involved in the trade.

“We take the students through different metalworking industries so they can build their skills in a variety of areas,” Russell explains.

We’ve covered the sheet metal trade and are about to start fitting and turning. Later in the year, we’ll head into fabrication, which the students love because they get to use the welders.

Once they understand the foundational elements of metalwork, the students have the opportunity to complete a major project in year 10. The major project allows the students to combine their research skills and creativity with their accumulated metalworking skills.

Finding the right products with Edcon Steel

Russell typically buys his steel and metal supplies from local suppliers. However, when preparing for the fitting and turning area of study, he needed to look outside his local area for the right products.

“For the fitting and turning element of the course, we needed engineering steel,” Russell explains.

“I wanted the students to work with higher-quality materials that are closer to those used in the industry.

And while we can get plenty of straight hot-rolled steel or black bar from our local suppliers really easily, it was more difficult to find engineering steel.

Russell turned his attention online to find the right products and came across the Edcon Steel website.

“I really appreciated three things from the Edcon website that made me place my order,” Russell says.

Buy steel online. Delivery or In-store pick up.

At Edcon Steel, we’re your one-stop shop for steel. We’ve built a reputation as the steel experts with the biggest range and best service.

Available for a quote and online purchase 24/7, you can browse thousands of steel and metal products, tools and accessories. Plus, most of our stocked products can be custom-cut to your requirements, so you only pay for what you need.

Browse our online steel store or search to find the right steel or metal for your next project.