The impact behind student success

At TAFE Queensland’s Cairns campus, Roisin has worked across learning support, the Navy Indigenous Development Program (NIDP), and the First Nations Pathways to Policing Program, helping students build the language, literacy, digital and communication skills they need to progress in training and step confidently into employment.

Her impact has been recognised beyond the classroom, with Roisin being named a finalist in the 2026 Queensland Training Awards (Tropical North Region) for VET Teacher or Trainer of the Year, alongside being awarded TAFE Queensland North region’s Educator of the Year staff award.

Rather than treating foundation skills as separate from real careers, Roisin embeds them directly into industry pathways from day one.

In the Navy Indigenous Development Program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students preparing for defence pathways, Roisin uses highly practical and diagnostic activities to quickly understand how students learn, communicate and work under pressure.

One activity asks students to build a freestanding tower from limited materials within a strict timeframe.

“It looks simple on the surface, but you learn so much immediately,” Roisin said. “You can see leadership, hesitation and communication styles, confidence, frustration, tolerance and problem-solving all in one exercise. It gives a much clearer understanding of what each student needs from the beginning.”

That approach helps students connect foundation skills to a bigger purpose.

“If students can see clearly where they are heading, they’re much more willing to push through the difficult parts,” she said. “That’s when the shift happens. They stop thinking, ‘I don’t belong here,’ and start thinking, ‘This is part of getting where I want to go.’”

That focus on real-world application also shaped Roisin’s work in the Pathways to Policing Program, which supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students preparing for careers in policing, border protection, and community roles.

To strengthen her delivery of the program, Roisin undertook industry release with the Australian Federal Police and Border Force, examining the communication, reporting and workplace expectations students would face on the job. The experience reshaped parts of her teaching.

“I realised students didn’t need complicated language,” she said. “It was more important that they knew how to communicate clearly, accurately, and confidently under pressure.”

Students completed scenario-based tasks aligned to real operational settings, helping them better understand the expectations of industries they were working towards.

Industry engagement was also central to the program, with guest speakers and mentors from policing, border protection and related agencies regularly contributing to delivery.

“For some students, hearing directly from First Nations staff already working in those spaces was incredibly powerful,” Roisin said. “It helps them see those careers as something achievable.”

Beyond structured programs, Roisin works closely with vocational teachers, Indigenous Student Support Officers, AccessAbility teams, and library staff to identify barriers early before students disengage from study.

Her focus is always practical. For some students, the challenge is academic writing. For others, it is navigating online systems, confidence gaps, learning difficulties or simply returning to study after years away.

“If you assume every student needs the same thing, you miss the opportunity to genuinely help them succeed,” Roisin said.

One student that experienced that support firsthand was Adam Breadon, who came to TAFE Queensland with very little confidence after years away from education.

“Roisin helped me believe I could actually do it,” Adam said. “She never made me feel embarrassed asking questions. She saw something in me before I could see it in myself.”

With Roisin’s encouragement, Adam progressed from a Certificate III in Community Services (CHC32015) into a Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs / Diploma of Mental Health (CHC53215 / CHC53315) dual award, later securing work as a Crisis Worker supporting vulnerable men experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use.

In 2025, Adam was named Equity Student of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards – Tropical North Region final and invited Roisin to attend alongside him.

“I asked her to come because she was there with me from the very beginning,” Adam said. “She changed my life.”

Roisin’s influence extends far beyond Cairns. She has worked directly with students in Yarrabah and Thursday Island, adapting support to local community needs and helping remote learners build confidence before stepping into vocational programs such as nursing.

“We can’t just wait until students are struggling,” Roisin said. “Good support starts early. It builds confidence before self-doubt has a chance to take over.”

“My job is not to prove whether students can already do something. My job is to help them learn how.”

That belief continues to shape students across Far North Queensland, helping them move from uncertainty to confidence, and from hesitation to genuine possibility.

Adam Breadon and Roisin Murphy at the TAFE Queensland Cairns Graduation Ceremony.

Navy Indigenous Development Program (NIDP) graduation ceremony.            

First Nations Pathways to Policing Program graduation ceremony.