Building the future at Brooky TAFE

Artificial (super) intelligence is set to radically transform the workplace. We face a chronic skills shortage, a housing crisis too. Given such a rosy outlook, who better to talk to than Brookvale TAFE Carpentry teachers Peter Purcell – the oldest and longest-serving teacher on staff – and Louise Tynan, the youngest staff member by decades, learn about their career paths and what’s on offer for Beaches’ locals eyeing off a career in the building trade. 

“I’d worked as a carpenter all over New South Wales but in 1989 I could see a big recession looming and applied to become a TAFE teacher,” explains Peter. “When they offered me the full-time teaching role in Brooky I said, you beauty!” 

Peter’s premonition was spot on, the early 90s recession brought many in the construction game undone while his new role paid for his studies to earn his Graduate Diploma in Education. Job satisfaction clearly a winner, he’s never left. 

“At the start of every year I always ask the students if their bosses studied Carpentry here at Brookie,” says Peter. “Half the hands usually go up.” Over the past 35 years he’s taught many in the same family.  

Louise’s entire family is university-educated and being a great school student, she did give it a go. “I went to UNSW and lasted about two months,” says Louise. “It wasn’t for me, but I’d been working in the Bunnings timber yard since I was 14, and I just started pestering all the tradies to give me an apprenticeship.” 

Louise spent a year in search of an apprenticeship. She never gave up, and once on site, all set with a great team, quickly showed how valuable a female can be on the worksite. “Respect is earned in the trades,” explains Louise. “It’s not something you can demand, it’s what you’re rewarded with by proving yourself.”

Passionate about fostering women in construction, Louise jumped at the chance to become a TAFE teacher in 2024, despite its challenges. “This is mentally the most draining job I’ve ever had, but seeing concepts click with the students, especially those who aren’t necessarily academic, watching them see something tangible from the work they’ve put in, it’s super rewarding.”

TAFE’s ability to provide almost immediate feedback to students of how their work relates to the real world, the problems it solves, the applications it has, is what sets it apart from a university education. 

“Every student must have an apprenticeship before they can study,” explains Peter. “They’re invested from the outset, having most likely worked hard to secure that in the first place. Then it’s a matter of conquering basic maths, and over the course of three years, provided they don’t skip any classes, students develop the full carpentry skillset, working on projects like roofing, wall and floor framing, and fit out, all while gaining skills in safely using a range of tools and equipment.”

Peter encourages all students at the end of three years to complete the Certificate IV in Building and Construction. “The network students build, knowledge in running a business, building codes, site supervision, cost estimation, it opens up huge opportunities.”

“An apprenticeship sets you up with a superb attitude to work, getting up early then having a systematic approach to the day ahead,” says Peter. “Do an apprenticeship, I guarantee you’ll have a job for life.”