There are a multitude of career pathways for people with trade qualifications who want to get into teaching. These range from training and assessing at TAFE through to a Masters in Education with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) specialisations. Dependent on the trade person's previous qualifications, level of interest, determination and passion, a career change to teaching holds a world of possibility.
What many tradies may not realise are the superpowers that sets them apart as teachers, due to their career experience and expertise.
Jon Stam loved his job as a pattern maker and boiler maker in Dalby when, in his mid-30’s a chat with a neighbour reignited a dream he had held since childhood. Now teaching industrial technology and design and STEM, he attributes his years in the workforce for providing him with a special edge in the classroom.
'Going from school to a trade taught me skills that you don’t get from a textbook; how to speak to people, workmanship, discipline, problem solving; which have all made me a better teacher,' he said.
The three examples below top a long list of out-of-the-book super-powers that turn tradies into top-guns in the classroom.
1. Tradies have top-notch interpersonal communication skills
Dealing with diverse stakeholder groups including; clients, colleagues, suppliers and contractors, requires a toolkit of quality communication, empathy and relationship management skills that begin to develop from day one as an apprentice.
Through natural interaction and role modelling, Jon is an example of how tradie teachers provide their students with invaluable interpersonal mastery and real world behavioural standards beyond their academic development.
'Showing them (students) what it’s like in the workforce makes their transition out of school easier.'
2. Tradies turn creative solutions into practical applications
Nothing pleases a tradie more than a complex problem requiring creative ingenuity or out of the box 'tinkering' to resolve. In the classroom, be it in industrial technology and design or STEM specialties; teachers have the ability to integrate theory with their practical knowledge to generate more realistic applications, which is where a tradie really starts to shine.
It was the freedom to rework his curriculum that’s been one of the most fulfilling components of Jon’s teaching.
'When I first looked at the manufacturing content, I didn’t like the style; so, I rewrote it in a way that was relevant and flexible enough to keep the kids interested' he said. 'It may sound corny but I love being paid to share the craft of pattern making.'
3. Tradies make work fun
The infectious passion of a tradesperson for their craft is potentially the biggest super-power they bring to teaching. Tradespeople are excited to share their wisdom and knowledge with anyone who will show a genuine interest, and that authenticity in their teaching style is impossible to replicate through a university degree alone.
As Jon confesses, 'kids shock me all the time. I have a student who is not as strong with his social skills, or in group activities. However when I put him on the ‘Inventor Design’ program, he thinks at a whole different level and I can’t wait to see what he continues to produce by year 12'.
Ready to use your superpowers to change the world for the next generation of skilled workers? Find out how to become a teacher.