Stephen brings almost 40 years of industry and teaching experience to Reboot program

The program provides personalised support and funded flexible training to eligible trade apprentices with cancelled apprenticeship contracts, within the last 36 months and links them with new employers.

With a Bachelor of Education and nearly 40 years of qualified trade experience, Stephen leads the carpentry project delivery area with pride.

“I just love being engaged with the students. I really do. For me, teaching what I know is what I enjoy”.

“This program is about getting students that have fallen out of the trade, and trying to reinstall that enjoyment in the trade, showing them that working out outside and being able to do something that if you drive past in 30 years’ time, it's still there.

“It's sort of nice to be able to drive along, and go, ‘I worked on that’. You know, so there's a buzz in that,” he said.

The carpentry program delivery is focused across Acacia Ridge and Bracken Ridge campuses, with flexible training models offered.

“Our Acacia Ridge training facility is amazing! It's a big, modern facility where our projects are much larger in scale, not just benchwork. They are life size and our students are using all the current tools that are being used in industry”.

“As far as our trainers, all our teachers have been in the trade for considerable amount of years. Several teachers here have been teaching at TAFE Queensland for 7 years plus, So the staff expertise is embedded into what we do.

“Our training is delivered by people that have walked the walk, and they now talk on the talk,” Stephen said.

The Reboot Your Trade Training program bridges the gap between employment recommencement, to keep students engaged in their studies and trade, while actively creating connections with employers through our free Find Your Apprentice Service | TAFE Queensland.

“There's theory-based and practical-based content. For delivery modes, we are very flexible so you
can complete the theory from home, after working your current job of the day, then can book into a flexi block, night class or a day release and do all your practical assessments and some theory assessments in front of a teacher.” He said

Carpentry is a critical trade recognised for the needed growth to support the construction of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic games, and current housing shortage.

“There's plenty of apprenticeships out there. There's Facebook groups where people are advertising daily, that they're needing tradespeople, they're looking for apprentices.”

Stephen says that student involvement in the project provides employers with job-ready students, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between students, employers and TAFE Queensland, while addressing the critical trade pipeline.

“Student re-engagement in their carpentry studies, shows an employer that this student genuinely wants to get back in the industry because they've already started their study. So they're trying to better themselves with their knowledge and skills prior to getting that new apprenticeship.

The other side of it is when they do get that apprenticeship, their new employer doesn't have to release them for the units they've already done training in. Therefore it's more of an advantage to the employer, with students being where they should be on site making a difference”.

Stephen’s message to apprentices that resonate with the program is, “If you want to re-engage with a carpentry career, now's the time to do it, because you're also getting support to get your training done as well through TAFE Queensland.

The  Reboot Your Trade Training Program aims to re-engage cancelled Queensland apprentices in their training pathways, maintaining a strong pipeline of skilled workers in priority trades that play a critical role in powering our state’s economy for years to come.

From the success of the pilot program's support for apprentices whose training contracts have been cancelled, it is now known as the Reboot Your Trade Training Program and has been expanded to be delivered statewide from five TAFE Queensland regions. TAFE Queensland's Reboot Your Trade Training Program provides funded training to people with cancelled apprenticeship contracts into limited spots across TAFE Queensland’s five regions that deliver trade training on their campuses.

Improved Completions is a joint initiative between the Australian Government and Queensland Government.

Places are limited, and eligibility rules apply. For more information visit tafeqld.edu.au/reboot or call 1300 308 233 today.