Teaching at TasTAFE – Joshua Boon shares his story

From Cabinet Making apprentice to competing at the world’s biggest skills competition and now sharing his skills as a teacher, Joshua Boon knows first-hand where TasTAFE’s training can take you.

Joshua began his TasTAFE journey as an apprentice in 2014, studying Cabinet Making in Launceston and working at UCI Joinery in Ulverstone.

He finished his apprenticeship in 2017 and was selected in the Tasmanian team for the 2018 WorldSkills Australia National Championships. He won gold in the competition, then represented Australia in the international finals in Russia in 2019. Josh finished 6th in the world and was awarded a Medallion of Excellence.

These days Josh is back at TasTAFE, teaching Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology full-time at Alanvale Campus.

“I've always enjoyed the teaching side of things,” Josh said, “– helping people grow and expand their skillset, seeing the outcomes, the satisfaction…and providing them with the knowledge to be able to do things well.”

As a TasTAFE learner himself, Josh understands the benefits of the on-campus learning environment.

“In Cabinet Making, a lot of the technology and machinery we have is more advanced than in most workplaces,” Josh said. “We have great machinery, great tools, great facilities… Our apprentices really enjoy coming here to learn: they know that they're going to be able to do things properly.”

Josh also appreciates the work/life balance that teaching at TasTAFE can deliver.

“The flexibility is really good – being able to work in different locations. And with a young family, the annual leave works very well over the school holidays,” Josh said.

“The pay is definitely above industry pay, too. You still have those industry connections – you’re still relevant, you’re still keeping your skills honed – but there’s a lot less stress.”

Professional development is also part of the teaching experience at TasTAFE, helping teachers keep up with new industry directions and innovations.

“We have a lot of personal development days throughout the year. We’re really encouraged to look for different opportunities and avenues of career development – ways that we can stay relevant and ahead of the trend,” Josh said.

Ultimately, despite a few initial nerves in the classroom, Josh has found teaching at TasTAFE to be a really rewarding experience.

“It might seem a little bit daunting, standing in front of a class of students, but you soon get into it,” Josh said.

“And once you start to see the apprentices learn and progress, it's very rewarding. That's probably my favourite part of the job: seeing someone go from nervous and a bit unsure, to really confident at the end of their apprenticeship. And it's because you've been there to help them along the way.”