Congratulations to Thomas Patterson

Thomas was awarded Victorian VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year at the Victorian Training Awards earlier this year. On Friday 17 November Thomas was awarded Runner-up at the Australian Training Awards held in Tasmania. 

Thomas teaches the Certificate II in Building and Construction (Carpentry) Pre-apprenticeship at the Outer Northern Trade Training Centre. 

After 15 years of working in the construction industry as a carpenter and licenced builder, Thomas leapt into VET teaching to share his knowledge and skills. Teaching at Outer Northern Trade Training Centre, he delivers the Certificate II in Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship (Carpentry) and the Certificate I Construction Pathways.

To prepare students more thoroughly for the workforce, Thomas implemented real-world tasks. Small-scale models were replaced with house-sized wall frames, roof structures and sub-floors, which rapidly escalated their skills. Thomas collaborated with plumbing and electrical trade colleagues to apply the same approach into their trades, resulting in a rapid improvement in student output.