Gary Dunshea - Trade Teacher: Wood Machining
Gary Dunshea believes that if you’re really, truly passionate about an industry, don’t be afraid to step forward and give others a hand up.
As a trade teacher of Woodmachining Gary is sharing his knowledge, passion and skills with a new generation. And he’s one trade teacher who goes the distance: “I’m prepared to drive all night to help a kid learn something.” And, as a travelling TAFE teacher, he’s not exaggerating!
One of the unique things about Gary, is that his job takes him across the country to teach. While he’s registered as a TAFE teacher, he doesn’t work in a classroom. He travels to small businesses in towns across the country to teach apprentices their hands-on component of being a woodmachinist. He travels from Sydney, to Goulbourn, Cowra, Orange, Bathurst and more.
Gary fills a huge gap in the education system, as there are only two TAFEs in NSW who teach Woodmachining.
But what exactly does it take to be a successful teacher?
“You need passion to teach, and a passion for what you’re teaching.” Gary says, ”I’ve seen people with the teaching qualifications, but can’t relate to the learner, because they aren’t passionate about what they’re teaching. They’re there because it pays well.”
Gary has no average day, or no average time spent at a business. If there’s only one trainee, he’ll visit for three or four hours, but if there are several, he could spend two days with them. He tries to reinvent the subject, “and show them how good it can be!”
In Gary’s line of work, he catches the kids who fall between the cracks. Not only has he access to regional kids who are skilled as hands-on workers but sometimes his job involves a lot more than just teaching the basics of woodmachining.
“[The] kids who come out of high school with no ability to read, or basic maths – practically illiterate – are a real challenge. You must teach them basic life skills, in addition to a trade. You need to modify your training of different levels. Some kids are struggling to get out of year 10 – you gotta get them interested, and get them to show they’re competent.”
But, conversely, experiencing life outside the traditional classroom has other treasures: “When you regularly visit companies over 2 years, you get to know the staff, the management, and they often ask for advice about the apprentices – and it’s good to be able to recommend some of the kids for management roles, because the [business] might not have thought of that otherwise.”
Gary’s been in the Woodmachining Industry for thirty years. He did an apprenticeship at 17 (“convinced I was going to be a cabinet maker!”), and worked his way up to management roles. “I’ve always been keen on wood and that sort of thing.” But being a teacher didn’t cross his mind until he became allergic to the wood he was working with and saw a gap in the training of some of the people he was working with. “Not all the fully qualified tradesmen were up to standard. And others, without a bit of paper, were brilliant.” Gary took a course in Workplace Training, then began teaching in a Training Company. When the company closed down, Gary was offered a job at TAFE.
“When I was younger, I saw TAFE teachers standing around drinking coffee – and I thought “I’d like to do that!”” Gary laughs.
His transition to becoming a teacher wasn’t easy. “At first, I’ve was wondering ‘How would I get up in front of a class?’ But if it’s something you believe in, something you know, then it’s easy. You get a warm fuzzy feeling out of it – you feel like you have a purpose. There is satisfaction, of course, in seeing a completed [wood]work, but it’s just not the same.”
“[To be a teacher] you need to have a passion to improve the industry, and confidence to talk to people”, which is something Gary gained with age. “I was not so good at Maths and English – but I was good with my hands. I didn’t have the confidence when I was younger – but now I can put my experience into action.”
Gary has been teaching for around 6 years, and has issued over 300 qualifications. At least 50 of those students are now in management roles – but that isn’t to say the others aren’t where they want to be.
“One kid at Dubbo, couldn’t read or write, came from a split family. He lived with his mother, and when he turned 18, she left him, and he had nothing. These kids come in and tell you their stories – you get emotionally involved. But they’ve succeeded, in their own ways. … I’d hope that I could help just one of these kids gain a future, or achieve their dreams.”
He’s even taught behind bars, heading to Goulbourn Jail once every four weeks. There are murderers who are in for 10-15 years, who sit, sober, absorbing all the practical skills he can teach them, planning for a life outside the jail. “They’ve finished all their bookwork, and I go back in so they can get their hands-on experience.“
The best part of the job, Gary says, is the warm-fuzzy feeling of helping an apprentice who might not have had another chance at life succeed. “I just love teaching kids. Kids from broken families who’ve never had a father figure – when they look at you with awe, when you teach them something I’d consider rather simple in Machining - the job satisfaction is - well, it’s just over the moon!”
But Gary’s had his share of successful graduates: “I’ve seen young kids out of school, who are now supervisors and managers. Some who learnt the trade and are now sales reps. You get a warm fuzzy feeling there, too.“
“Teaching is important to me. I dunno how the world rates it. If you enjoy helping people, like what you do, then help other people to enter it.” says Gary.
With teachers like Gary few and far between, one would think that the world rates teachers as a very precious resource indeed.
Advice?
His advice to anyone thinking of entering the teaching industry, is to love what you do. “If you’re keen to help people, don’t be scared. I knew a lot about the timber industry, but I was worried at first that I couldn’t each people what to do. Just have a go. Have a go at it!”
“Enjoy what you do – or else you’ll drift away. Enjoy what you do, then everything’s easy.”
Gary also recommends his own career path: once you get your teaching qualification, talk to your Industry Association to recommend a Training Organisation – then talk to them about finding a position. “TAFE is very hard to get into.”
To learn to be a teacher in the workplace, Gary took a Certificate IV is Workplace Training.
