DATTA Qld Newsletter

By Stephen Anderson

Across Australia, schools are grappling with the same challenge: a shortage of qualified Design and Technologies teachers. Workshops are busy, programs are expanding, equipment continues to evolve – yet the workforce pipeline is shrinking. In Victoria, however, a promising initiative is gaining momentum, one that may offer a model for schools right across the country.

In a recent conversation on the Bridge Building Podcast, Peter Murphy from RMIT University outlined an emerging program that pairs industrial design students with schools looking for support in their workshops. The idea sounds simple: university design students work part-time in schools as paid technicians. Yet the impact has been remarkable.

A Win for Students and Schools

The arrangement is mutually beneficial. Schools gain an extra set of skilled hands – someone who understands design processes, can assist with machinery, and can support students during project work. Out-of-field teachers, now increasingly common in the system, also benefit from having a knowledgeable “design-minded” person beside them in the workshop.

For the university students, the benefits are just as significant. Instead of working in retail or fast food, they gain stable part-time employment while getting access to laser cutters, 3D printers, machinery, and the creative energy of a real classroom. For many, this is far more meaningful than waiting hours for equipment in busy university labs.

According to Peter, design students are “desperate for opportunities to be creative, hands-on, and part of a community”, and many quickly recognise the appeal of a teaching career once they’re placed in a school.

Rethinking the Teacher Pipeline

This program is also responding to a broader structural issue. As design industries evolve – particularly with the rise of AI automating entry-level tasks – young designers are entering a workforce with fewer traditional junior roles. Schools, by comparison, offer creativity, problem-solving, stability, and human connection.

The result? A perfect opportunity for schools to “grow their own” future teachers.

Peter’s long-term vision goes even further. He is currently undertaking a PhD to help build academic capacity in the Design and Technologies field – something he argues is essential if we want to rebuild the discipline and create sustainable, intergenerational change. For him, recruiting design-based graduates into Master of Teaching programs is part of a bigger picture: revitalising a learning area that needs fresh thinking, contemporary design dispositions, and leaders who understand creativity at its core.

A Model Any School Can Start

Perhaps the most encouraging part of the conversation is that this initiative is not limited to Victoria. Any school can pick up the idea and run with it.
Peter’s advice is simple:

• Contact the design faculty at your nearest university.
• Ask about industrial design, engineering, IT, or fashion students.
• Explore volunteer or paid technician opportunities.
• Let students see the creativity and energy inside a school workshop.

The interest is already there – schools just need to ask.

A Call to Action

As Design and Technologies educators, we have a responsibility not just to teach the next generation, but to build the profession that will sustain them. Programs like this offer a practical, bottom-up way to do exactly that.

For any school looking to enrich its workshop, support staff, or grow future teachers, now is the perfect time to start a conversation with your local university.

To hear the full discussion with Peter Murphy, listen to Episode 83 of the Bridge Building Podcast.