In more than a decade on the tools as an electrician, Greta Gaudry always considered the chance to mentor apprentices as a career highlight.
She is now turning that highlight into a long-term career move as one of the participants in the Department of Education’s pilot Trade to Teach Internship Program.
The Queensland Government’s innovative program is conducted in partnership with two universities, including the University of Southern Queensland.
For skilled people with trades experience, it offers the chance for a career change and a permanent position at a Queensland high school.
The program was launched to help address critical shortages in Industrial Technology and Design disciplines.
Greta will leave behind a career in railway signalling to take up work as a teacher when she graduates in 2026.
“I thoroughly enjoy sharing my knowledge and watching apprentices learn and develop new skills,” she said.
“I decided to study teaching so I could develop this passion into a career.”
“Ultimately, I want to make a positive impact on students' lives. I want to provide engaging lessons that encourage student learning and allow students to discover their potential, no matter their background.”
Carpenter Dion Kingi also felt the pull to the classroom because of the opportunity to help young people learn new skills.
He decided to make the switch from running his own business to running a classroom after more than three decades in the trades.
“My goal is to be in the Design Tech field of study which includes design, industrial technology, 3D printing, AR, VR, robotics and engineering,” he said.
“My experience as a builder has already shown to be beneficial as I recently started as a teacher’s assistant (TA) in the Design Tech department of the local school.
“The students appreciate the ‘tricks of the trade’ I bring to their projects.”
Dion praised the support from University of Southern Queensland for aiding him to tackle university study while juggling a career switch.
“I have a lot of praise for the program. The idea of bringing in experienced tradies into the classroom is a great way to bring real-life experience into the classroom while addressing the shortage of teachers,” he said.
University of Southern Queensland Trade to Teach Coordinator Lisa Ryan said the T2T cohort brought a wealth of experience to their education journey.
The first year of the program lays a rich conceptual foundation to Education while also developing teaching skills in a range of curriculum areas.
“University of Southern Queensland is unique in that our T2T students will be qualified to teach in at least two discipline area, giving our graduates enormous flexibility for the future,” Dr Ryan said.
In 2024, students took part in a 50 per cent teaching placement in a Queensland state school where they applied their trade skills in conjunction with their teaching knowledge in an intensive model designed to make them truly classroom-ready.
“With this internship model, our students receive an additional 260 days of placement when compared to a more traditional teaching pathway,” Dr Ryan said.
“In addition, our T2T students bring a wealth of life experience to their education journey, and it really enriches the experience for them, their classmates and their future students.”
Associate Professor (Curriculum and Pedagogy) Mia O’Brien celebrated the university’s leading role in addressing teacher shortages through participating in the program.
“We're leaning into the teacher workforce challenges with a strong commitment to partnering with industry and innovators across the regions to prepare future teachers,” she said.
Applications for the 2025 round of Trade to Teach are open until 22 September 2024.
