Career-changing tradies help fill teacher shortage in Victorian schools
Mr Zardo spent more than a decade working in hotels and restaurants all over Asia, but he grew tired of hospitality's long and irregular hours.
"I just wanted to try something new," he said.
Three and a half years ago, he stepped back into the classroom; not as a student, but as a teacher.
Mr Zardo is one of several Victorian Institute of TAFE-accredited trainers at Cobram Secondary College in Victoria's north-east, using skills from his past life to teach the next generation.
The school is seeking out qualified professionals who are looking for a career change, to help address a teacher shortage being felt across Victoria.
Mr Zardo is now Cobram Secondary College's VET cookery teacher, after completing his Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Despite his initial reservations, support from the school quickly put him at ease.
"I love it so much, and I love cooking and we have a lot of fun in the kitchen," he said.
"It's easy to teach that to young people.
"A lot of them haven't ever cooked before, and they come into the class and they get a bit of passion and inspiration.
At Greater Shepparton Secondary College, Chris Harris has taken his skills as a former ecologist and researcher to the science classroom.
"As much as I loved doing the research, far out, I just loved talking about science," he said.
Mr Harris became a qualified teacher through the Teach for Australia program and said while he occasionally missed the research field, he had no regrets.
"There's so much knowledge here that you can share and delve into."
Greater Shepparton Secondary College acting principal Steve Bolton said there were incentives for tradespeople to switch gears and teach in subjects such as woodwork, metalwork and textiles.
Mr Bolton said the school tried to give prospective teachers a "leg-up" by offering mentoring from senior staff, and connecting potential recruits with local real estate agents to help them find a home.
"It's pretty difficult to get any accommodation here at the moment [after the floods], so we can steer them in the right direction," he said.
Cobram Secondary College principal Kimberley Tempest said her teacher-recruitment tactics were creative.
She said paid study opportunities and mentoring were attractive to people wanting a career change.
"Our current strategy is to look at local people who are invested in our community, who may have a degree already or may have a trade," she said.
"By the time you actually graduate [from your course], you're an amazing teacher.
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