Best electrical trade teacher in Australia

NECA recently announced the Electrical Trade Teacher of the Year Award for 2008, rounding off NECA’s suite of awards which covers all aspects of the industry.

David McKee, a teacher at SkillsTech Australia in Queensland, took out the award as the best trade teacher in the country. His award was a cash prize and professional development totalling $5000 from the Institute of Trade Skills Excellence (ITSE).

The Hon Joe Hockey, Federal Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives, made the presentation together with Wes McKnight, NECA Victoria’s president and convenor of the judging panel.

McKee has worked closely with employers to enable flexible learning students to work on their own policies and procedures such as risk management. He has supervised and coordinated two co-provider agreements where employers have their own trainers and work under SkillsTech's RTO status. He has also dealt directly with employers in relation to RPL, cross-credits and gap training for workers to obtain a Queensland electrical licence.

McKee has provided a flexible learning model so students, in conjunction with their employers, can choose where and when learning occurs. He appreciates that some mature age or advanced students have considerable knowledge but do not fit RPL guidelines. With his flexible model they can rapidly complete assignments and assessments in those areas and concentrate on the gap in their knowledge.

McKee’s teaching method is the only one of its kind in Queensland which permits students to accelerate in the electrical training system and complete their studies early. He has a personal approach to teaching and finishes the end of a subject with a face-to-face interview with each student.

After the presentation, McKee said: “It is a great honour in the sense that I have been working away, doing what I do, and to be recognised nationally is tremendous.”

“I intend to use the prize to bring together a number of people’s thoughts on alternative delivery styles. I hope to meet with training providers in WA and Tasmania and other states, to learn what they are doing and further develop our alternative delivery methods, for the benefit of SkillsTech as well as all RTOs in electrical.”