Introduction

The Voluntary Education and Training (VET) course has equipped me with a lot of occupational
skills. Apart from theoretical experience, I now have the real practical experience of what is
expected of me as a graduate in VET. The subject has equipped me with a lot of skills and
knowledge needed in the profession, and I am now ready to move up from a part time to a full-
time carpentry teacher. The subject has also equipped me with solid communication skills which
include both oral and written. I am now confident that I can comfortably handle communication
with my fellow colleagues and my professional colleagues and my professional contacts. The
subject has played a big part in preparing me for my job ahead. I am now ready to teach full time,
and I see myself heading an institution in the near future. The study has also exposed me to some
internal requirements in VET study, and I am sure that this will enable me to work anywhere in
the world without breaking the rules of engagement. Through the subject, I have learned the art
of peacefully coexisting with everyone in the environment and ensuring that there is both social
and environmental sustainability in all that I do.

Improved Knowledge and Skills

The vocational training has helped in enhancing the knowledge and skills that I need in my work
as a carpentry teacher. The subject has mainly focused on the applications of the skills learned
and has provided me with the hands on instruction needed for my job. As Kis, Hoeckel, Santiago,
and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009) maintain, the subject has
been very substantial in bridging the gap between the theoretical or the traditional academic skills
and the actual working environment. I believe that the skills and knowledge gained in the subject
can help me in solving the problems that are present in my current society. Initially, all the learning
that I underwent was based on theory. As McGrath (2012) notes, it was based on a lot of theoretical
concepts with no clarity on how this could be applied to the real work environment. The technique
as Rauner and Maclean (2008) observe, posed a lot of limitation to me since it made it difficult for
me to see the connection between what I was learning and the actual work environment. The skills
and knowledge that I gained from such kinds of learning seldom lasted for long since as Tessaring
and Wannan (2010) argues, I would always forget what was taught, or it could be extremely
difficult for me to piece together instructions on how to apply the teachings in class to the real
work environment.
The training I received at VET was totally different. It has directly exposed me to the work that I
expect to do. With each day of learning, I can immediately see how what I learn can be applied to
the real world environment. Immediately get the gist of how I will apply what I have learned in
class in my carpentry lessons. I am able to immediately appreciate what is being taught and the
rationale for teaching. I see an immediate connection between my career path and what I am
learning in class. I am as Eichhorst, Rodrguez-Planas, Schmidl, and Zimmermann (2012) note,
equipped with enough knowledge to be able to plan my career and see what I want to be in the
next 5 to 10 years. This is a great paradigm shift from the previous mode of teaching that placed a
lot of emphasis on the theory since it was even difficult for me to k now exactly what I was going
to be in future. The technique of teaching made it very difficult for me to directly decide the career
path that I would finally branch to since more often than not, there was always a lot of ambiguity
in career path. The subject has equipped with practical skills and knowledge which as Kena et al.;
2014 assert, gives me a clear edge in job hunting. The course has properly prepared me to take up
highly skilled and rewarding jobs. At the end of the course I am supposed to get certification from
an independent organisation which gives the certification that I possess the skills to perform the
tasks, I believe that it will give me the much-needed credibility in the competitive job market.

The studies have therefore added me very significant skills that I can immediately see in my work.
I already see my value at work going up, and I am ready to move from a part time carpentry teacher
into a full-time role. I see myself moving into the management position in the years to come.

Improved Communication Skills.

My education at ECU has equipped me with very good communication skills. I have learned that
just as Brown and Bylund (2008) argue, the most important thing in any successful work
environment is the art of good communication. Communication is very important when dealing
with peers and in professional associations. Through the studies, I have learned the art of listening.
Before commencing the studies, I would say that I had very poor communication skills and I
seldom gave other people a listening ear. I have learned that being a good listener as Saavedra and
Opfer (2012) insist, makes it easier for me to get clear instructions which are essential in
understanding the instructions that are given to me. I have applied this to my part time job, and the
results have been wonderful.
The studies have also made me appreciate the art of non-verbal communication. I have learned
that my body language, eye contact, hand gestures and tone play a big role in coloring the message
that I am trying to convey as Brown and Bylund (2008) maintain. I have therefore learned to be
smart, and I have learned all the important nonverbal signs of communication to ensure that there
is no disconnect in my spoken and non-verbal communication.

One other skill that I was very poor at and which has sharpened at ECU is the art of giving
feedback. I have learned that it is very important to learn to accept feedback that I receive from
other people at work and even encourage more feedback. I have learned the art of listening
carefully whenever I am given feedback and asking clarifying questions in cases in which I am not
sure of any issue.

Respect for Culture

My studies at ECU have taught me that cultural diversity is very important at work. Through the
studies, I have come to appreciate the origin of the different cultures in Australia. I have learned
how certain cultures have been oppressed through discrimination and in education and work as
Otten and Jansen, (2014) state. I have learnt to always ensure that I maintain peaceful coexistence
with people from other cultures. I have also vowed to always ensure that there is cultural inclusivity
in places in which I am in charge.

Ethical practice, diversity and social Justice

The lessons learned throughout my studies have taught me the importance of social justice,
appreciating diversity and the need to make sure that there is sustainable development throughout
the world. I have been taught, how to play a part as a VET expert in ensuring that there is
sustainable development worldwide. The studies have equipped me with a lot of skills that will be
vital in making the world a better place by being a globally responsible citizen. I have learned the
importance of coexisting with employees from the other parts of the world. I have realised that the
world has become a global village which as Kumagai and Lypson (2009) explain makes it
increasingly important to learn how to work with people drawn from other countries.

Financial, social and Environmental Sustainability

The lessons learned have equipped me with the importance of the financial, social and
environmental sustainability. I have been able to put this into practice by teaching my students
how to apply environmentally safe practices in their work. I have learned the need to preach to my
students the importance of making sure that they give back to the society in which they operate
and the importance of making sure that they adopt practices that are safe to the environment to
ensure that development does not compromise the needs of future generations as Orlitzky, Siegel,
and Waldman (2011) advice.

Ability to learn in Different Environments.

There was a time when I thought that it was practically impossible to learn away from the class. I
believed that there had to be the physical presence of the teacher for learning to take place. My
time at ECU has challenged this thought. I have been able to learn through different environments
including online learning thanks to the adoption of technology. I have been able to access learning
materials, listen to online lectures, do assignments and submit them online which has made
combining work and learning very easy.

Part 2

Career plan in the next 5 to 10 years

Currently, I am working as a part time carpentry teacher. I plan on moving into a full-time role
within the next five years. I once I graduate, I will have a lot of time to fully take on a full time
teaching role. Besides that, I will be eligible to register with the professional associations and
practice as a fully certified practitioner. I plan on moving into the role of management within the
next 10 years. I believe that I will have picked up all the necessary skills required to move into the
management role within the next 10 years.
Additional Skills Needed.

I will need time to be able to work as a full-time teacher which will be available once I graduate.
Given that I have been working as a part time teacher, I already have the practical skills needed to
interact with my students in a classroom. As Mujtaba (2013) maintains, moving into the
management position will require a lot of skills. I will have to spend some time closer to the
managers to learn people management skills. I will have to learn how to handle people and team
issues within an organisation. As Hill (2008) states, I will have to learn how to ensure that the
interest of all the employees in the organisation are taken care of without compromising the
interests of other employees. I will also have to learn how to deal with conflicts in the teaching
environment. Conflicts as Custodio, Ferreira, and Matos (2015) contend, are abound in any
organisation and it requires very sound managerial skills to learn how to solve organisational
conflicts amicably.

Besides that, I will have to learn how to be a good planner. I will have to gain hands on experience
on how to plan for the center in terms of resources. I will have to plan properly as Tonidandel,
Braddy, and Fleenor, (2012) advice to ensure that there is proper succession planning to ensure
that there is no vacuum when teachers exit the center. Besides that, I will have to plan for resources
within the organisation to ensure that there are adequate resources needed for the day to day
operations at the center. As a manager, I will also have to acquire very sound communication skills.
As Tonidandel, Braddy, and Fleenor, (2012) maintain, I must learn how to pass on communication
to the entire center in good time. Besides that, I will have to learn how to give feedback to all the
employees. I will have to learn how to give constructive feedback to all the employees to ensure
that everyone stays motivated. Motivation is a key element in an organisation, and a motivated
workforce is a satisfied workforce. I will have to pick up skills on how to motivate employees
within the organisation. These will require making sure that the employees can be adequately
motivated either intrinsically or through tangible rewards using the resources that are available
within the organisation.

I will be able to attain the skills mentioned through both on the job training and through
professional training. I will strive to attend several workshops and seminars on leadership to ensure
that I gain the required leadership skills. I will also be very keen to be a good student of the current
managers at the center in which I work. I will be very keen to learn from them and pick some
managerial skills from their day to day work. I will be ready to consult them and will strive to gain
small leadership positions at the center to prepare me for the big role.

Professional Learning Program

Timescale Development area/ Planned Expected Outcomes

Objective Development
Activity
Medium Term ( To be full-time Take a course in The training will
within a span of 5 carpentry teacher Vocational and equip me with the
Years) Education Training. necessary practical
skills required to
teach in the
vocational center.
This will, therefore,
enable me to acquire
the necessary
certification required
to become a
professional in the
field since I will be
certified by
independent experts.
Such training and
certification will give
me an upper hand in
being employed
anywhere as a full-
time trainer.
Besides that, the
training received
from the course will
equip me skills on
how to communicate
which is very
important for a
teacher. For a
teacher, it is
important to be able
to communicate well
to students and even
give feedback.

The course will also

equip me with
conflict resolution
mechanisms which
will come in handy in
solving class related
conflicts as a teacher.

Besides that, the

course will equip me
with practical
carpentry skills which
will make me
competent in teaching
the course since I will
not only teach theory
to my students but
 will also demonstrate
to them the relevance
of what they are
learning practically
and show them how
they can apply it in
the job market.
The course will also
equip me with some
planning skills
needed to properly
plan for my lessons
and activities at
school to ensure that I
am efficient at
delivery of my
assigned tasks.
Long Term ( Within a Move into Undertake The professional
span of 10 Years) management position professional courses courses in
in management. management will
Work very closely equip me with sound
with other managers managerial skills
at the center which when
Attend seminars and combined with my
workshops on technical skills will
management make me a very good
manager. Being a
manager requires one
to be able to deal
with teams. People
and issues which
require very sound
managerial skills.
Working closely with
other managers will
also further give
more managerial
skills since I will be
able to learn from
them and integrate
the knowledge gained
from them with what
is obtained from the
professional
managerial courses
which will hopefully
make me a better
manager.

Attending workshops
and seminars will
enable me to network
and interact with
different managers in
different lines of
specialization and
will enable to pick up
some of the best
managerial best
practices from the
best managers in the
various industries
 which will prepare
me for the managerial
role at the center.

Conclusion

The skills that I Have gained transcend past the normal classroom teaching skills. I am well
equipped to deal with adult students who will be by main students at the vocational educational
centre. I am well equipped to follow the culturally practices and operate according to ethics that
guide the practice of education. I know exactly what I need to do to move up the ladder.
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