Charles Darwin University has blitzed the rest of Australia’s training providers to take out the Institute of Trade Skills Excellence Teacher of the Year award for 2008.
CDU’s NT Manager of the Primary Industries and Community Services Industry Division, Dr Brian Heim was announced the winner of the award during a dinner at the Darwin Convention Centre last night (Thursday).
It’s the first time the Northern Territory has participated in the awards, and Dr Heim has put the NT firmly on the Institute of Trade Skills Excellence (ITSE) map, scooping not just the Agricultural Teacher of the Year Award, but also the ultimate accolade of ITSE Teacher of the Year 2008.
Originally from Texas, USA, Dr Heim has worked at CDU’s Katherine campus for the past five and a half years.
“To win this award is a tremendous honour. It goes beyond explanation to say what it actually means to me,” he said.
Dr Heim said he believed that an agricultural course he had developed in direct response to a demand from industry secured the prestigious award.
“I think it’s the job of vocational education and training (VET) teachers to respond rapidly to industry and to meet their needs wholly. I spoke very passionately about this during the interview so may be that’s what swung it for me.”
He said he had strong competition. “I have to say the quality of the other VET teachers nominated for the award was amazing. I actually had picked out in my own head who I thought was most likely to win and of course it wasn’t me, but to be told I had won – it was just an amazing surprise.”
CDU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Garnett said the award was “a wonderful achievement for Brian and an honour for the University”.
“We are very proud of his achievements. It also reflects the fine calibre of VET teaching staff we have developed at CDU,” Professor Garnett said.
CDU’s Director of VET, Aaron Devine said the Teacher of the Year award recognised teachers who used innovative teaching methods to ensure the next generation of trades and skills people were armed with the very best training.
“Brian is clearly at the forefront of his profession,” Mr Devine said.
The award comes with a $10,000 cash component designed, in part, to help fund a project to benefit industry, students and the teacher themselves.
Dr Heim is planning to use the money to develop his existing animal studies program into an online course.