Aaron brings his experience to the next generation

Aaron Nobbs has worked in the engineering and manufacturing industry for over 20 years, completing his first trade as a fabricator in 2005 and going on to complete a second in fitting and turning in 2008.

Aaron found himself serving as an informal mentor in many of his workplaces across his career and enjoyed fostering growth in his colleagues. As he considered his later career, he wanted to make this mentoring a focal point.

A conversation with his own former TAFE teacher in 2022 led Aaron to commit to the TAFE Queensland Foundation Educator program and he has loved his journey into teaching at multiple TAFE Queensland campuses across South West Queensland including Ipswich, Toowoomba, Kingaroy, Roma, and Dalby.

“I teach because I feel that I can give students something more than what they believe that they can deliver. I want them to be able to believe that they can do all these other cool things that I was able to do,” Aaron said.

“I've just always wanted to give back, and my TAFE Queensland Fitter and Turner teacher, who I had kept in regular contact with over the years, recommended that I give teaching a go.

“I had been working incredibly long hours in my business, so my teacher encouraged me to apply for a teaching position through the Foundation Educator program.

“I've loved it ever since.”

Aaron’s is a journey that experienced trade professionals all over Queensland can emulate to use their expertise to shape the future of their industry.

The $2 million TAFE teacher recruitment drive is an election commitment of the Queensland Government. This commitment and programs supporting teacher training and employment form part of Measures to Strengthen the VET Workforce, a joint initiative between the Australian and Queensland Governments.