Case Studies

Plumbing Teacher

Carl has been teaching plumbing apprentices on a part time basis for about ten months. He works three days per week in his teaching role with Gymea TAFE, and works in his own plumbing contracting business for the rest of the week.

Carl does commercial and domestic plumbing, as well as consulting work for Enware Australia where he service and advice on new products from overseas and ensures that the installation of those products is carried out to Australian Standards.

Carl worked with first year plumbing apprentices in 2005 under the NSW curriculum model and, in 2006, has been delivering the first year competencies from the BCP03 Plumbing and Other Services Training Package.

When asked to comment on the difference between the two programs, Carl stated that the new Training Package has more content to be delivered than the curriculum model, but with less time to spend on each topic. Despite this, Carl says that the new package provides first year apprentices with an introduction to the various aspects of the plumbing trade.

Carl believes that the requirement for students to complete assignments and additional work in their own time is a useful strategy to assist them in developing the maturity needed to take on more responsibility for their learning.

When asked how this impacts on those students with language or learning difficulties, Carl gave the example of a mature age student with English as a second language. Carl sets out the required work to be completed by this student, who then works with a tutor on a one to one basis. Carl stated that the student was extremely pleased that he now hands in some work which he has been able to complete without the tutor’s assistance. The student’s wife cannot believe the difference she is seeing in his confidence.

In the future, Carl hopes to reduce the work in his contracting business and to take on teaching full-time. In the past, he has taught English as a Second Language and, since starting with Gymea TAFE, he has also completed his Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.

Carl already has some involvement in resource development within the school, but is keen to become more active in this area, where he is able to draw on his industry knowledge to assist in development of quality training resources.

For more information on a career in plumbing, click here.