Trading in his plumbing career to become a school teacher has given Mark Agnew a new lease on life.
Agnew had been on the tools for 19 years as a plumbing specialist in the industrial sector, working for some of the largest companies in south-east Queensland, including Visy, Orora, Cross-River Rail, Veolia, National Storage and Queensland Urban Utilities.
But after enrolling at CQUniversity in the Trade to Teach Internship Program – a Queensland Government initiative that provides financial support, a paid internship teaching position and a permanent teaching position for qualified tradespeople – he’s building a new future.
Sharing knowledge with a new generation
The Trade to Teach initiative aims to make a significant impact by bringing skilled professionals into the education sector.
“I no longer had the passion for my trade and my body was hurting from the work I was doing. The only aspect of my job that I liked was teaching the apprentices,” Agnew says.
“Teaching school students and giving them industry knowledge was more appealing and an exciting new adventure.”
As part of the internship, he has been placed with Mabel Park State High School and says “working in a diverse and culturally driven school has been both challenging and rewarding beyond measure”.
“I have been given opportunities like being a member of the staff wellbeing committee, hosting the ITD students with disabilities transition days, exciting professional developments and working with a supportive leadership team,” he says.
Applications for the 2025 intake of the Trade to Teach Internship Program open on 26 August 2024 and close on 22 September 2024.
“I’d tell any tradesperson to back themselves and give it a go,” Agnew says
“I now get to spend a lot more time with my family, I am never on-call, my body doesn’t ache all the time and I go to and leave work happy.”
