Anthea Taylor provides insights into the school-to-work transition of 72 young people from a low-income region, who undertook an industry-specific school vocational education and training (VET) program. The training program was a one-year building and construction industry initiative, which involved schools, industry and TAFE. The majority of students reported confidence, enthusiasm, and satisfaction with their transition to work and early career experiences. Further, they recognised the value of persevering with their training despite challenges, and this was reflected in the high retention rate in apprenticeships for this group.