Scholarship helps disadvantaged student reach for more

Growing up in poverty, James Bow was well aware there were things his family could not afford that other children took for granted.

He remembers wearing the same pair of shoes throughout primary school and not having his first laptop until high school.

His vocabulary was also behind his classmates, he says, because there were words and opportunities he had not encountered.

"It feels like it's almost like living under a rock," Mr Bow tells AAP about growing up disadvantaged in Campbelltown.

"I always knew that I wanted to achieve really high results," the 23-year-old says.

These days, Mr Bow is working full-time while studying for a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Wollongong.

His journey from disadvantage to university has been helped by The Smith Family's Learning for Life scholarship, but he also took an unconventional education pathway.

Mr Bow wanted to study mechanical engineering but, like many disadvantaged schools, his school did not offer the advanced mathematics subject required for the university course.

Instead, he completed a Diploma of Engineering at college before transitioning to university.

Now Mr Bow is working as a mechanical engineer specialising in heating, ventilation and air conditioning while completing his studies.

He has worked throughout university, including three years combining full-time work and study.

"There hasn't been a day that I haven't been working," says Mr Bow, who runs ultramarathons in the little spare time he has.

His story comes as The Smith Family calls for young Australians experiencing disadvantage to have greater exposure to careers education and vocational education and training pathways while still at school.

New data from Jobs and Skills Australia shows the number of VET course completions aligned to occupations in national shortage rose 26 per cent from 369,719 in 2020 to 467,245 in 2024.