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28 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
AU T UMN 20 1 7
A TEACHING MOMENT
F
or all my sins, every year I help
with judging the National Electrical
Trades Teacher of the Year Award
for NECA. And each year my associate
judge and I reflect on the same things
after the winner is determined. We are
continually impressed by the finalists’
passion for teaching and assisting with the
development of their students. Not just in
their chosen trade, but as people.
In 2016, the quality of the finalists
reached a new level. These teachers
spend a vast number of hours outside the
classroom in their own time developing
teaching aides, new testing facilities and
even arranging overseas aid programs
where the students (who fund their
own travel costs) travel to third world
countries to work as electricians
(supervised) on aid projects.
Typically teachers in our industry
are not thought about much. We as
an industry talk about apprenticeship
numbers, completion rates, TAFE facilities,
private RTO funding, pre-apprenticeship
placement outcomes, relevance of
modules, training packages, etc.
We don’t spend anywhere near as much
time on the people who have as much to
do with the quality of the people coming
into our industry as managers/supervisors
of the apprentices in the work place.
NECA’s decision to continue to provide the
awards and elevate the status of teachers
in our industry needs to be applauded.
For those of us who have come through
the apprenticeship system, we will all have
memories of good and bad experiences
with different teachers. I have a theory
though that in all our time at school there
is one teacher that stands out. One who
really connected with us – this is true with
primary and secondary schooling as well.
And then, of course, with trade school.
This one teacher is the one who helped
and communicated with each of us better
than others. This must be a great feeling
for a teacher to see and help a student
complete a tough task. Each of the finalists
mentioned this point and the joy they get
from these situations.
Our registered training organisations
(RTOs) will tell us that finding people who
want to be trade teachers is getting more
difficult by the year. Without people with
the passion and commitment to teach at
the trade level our industry will not survive
at the level we are now and can’t hope to
develop further. Knowing the curriculum
is one thing, having the skill, patience and
passion to teach this to people aged 16
through to 45 is another. Teaching is a skill
that needs to be taught. We can’t take
experienced tradespeople off sites and
walk them into a classroom, give them the
curriculum and let them go.
Developing teachers is an industry
issue that needs to be discussed,
solutions developed and funded. Talent
identification systems implemented so
experienced electricians can have a career
plan that shows them that they can use
their skills and experience for many years.
This career path won’t suit everyone
but the industry needs to find a way to
capture this experience and to transfer it
to our next generation. Another source
of new teachers would be experienced
tradespeople who by way of injury are
unable to return to their original full time
work. We need people who will assist in
delivering the training package backed up
with real work experience.
Experienced tradespeople think outside
the square when teaching the practical
aspects of the curriculum. Some of the
WESMCKNIGHT
BELIEVES
APPRENTICES ARE THE FUTURE.
TEACH THEMWELL AND LET THEM
LEAD THE WAY.
MCKNIGHT ON THE TOWN