Aussie farmer provides unconventional educational opportunities for students

VET Coordinator at St Anne’s College, Temora Simon Gaynor has been awarded 2024 VET Teacher of the Year Award for the Riverina region.

Simon Gaynor uses his family’s vast farming enterprise as an outdoor classroom. It’s a space where his students can have hands-on experience, develop new skills, and explore the career pathways available to them in a rural setting.

The quintessential Aussie farmer didn’t set out to become a career teacher. Now, more than 30 years into his career, the Director of Gaynor Farming and VET Coordinator at St Anne’s Catholic College in Temora has been recognised for his creative and innovative teaching methods, receiving the 2024 VET Teacher of the Year Award for the Riverina region.

Growing up in a third-generation farming family, Simon says, ‘I felt a strong passion for farming.’

While he considered leaving school early to continue the family tradition, Simon’s parents encouraged him to explore other options.

‘After experiencing several years of drought, my parents advised me to pursue qualifications that would provide off-farm income and bring new skills back to the farm,’ he explains.

‘With my parents’ support, I decided to pursue an education degree in industrial arts and design technology, embracing the new challenges this path presented in our rural town.’

‘I only planned to teach for a few years,’ he laughs, ‘but I just fell in love with teaching.’

Far from giving up farm life for teaching, however, Simon found a way to incorporate his love for both into his life’s work.

Every Wednesday Simon takes his agriculture class to the farm where they spend their double period building fences and learning general farming skills.

‘They are a diverse group spanning three year groups,’ Simon says. ‘Some know nothing going in but they come out competent with a Cert III in Ag. I’m able to give them real-life industrial experience. The students love it.’

With his extensive community connections, Simon is also able to facilitate local work placements, industry visits and on the job practical training sessions for his students.

‘Being a member of the community, I know many of my students and their families outside of school. This allows me to work with them individually to guide them towards their areas of interest,’ he explains.

‘The community is buzzing about the opportunities available for learning in Temora.’

A practising Catholic, Simon was excited to move from Temora High School to St Anne’s when the school announced it would offer senior classes from 2023. He has since played a pivotal role in implementing the school’s VET program.

CECG Registered Training Organisation Manager Karen Ruppert explains, ‘St Anne’s didn’t have a VET program. Now the college offers courses in primary industries (agriculture), construction, metals and engineering, hospitality, active volunteering, and sports coaching. Sixty per cent of students are doing more than one VET subject. Year 9 and 10 students can start HSC subjects early.’

‘The students are spoiled for choice,’ adds CECG VET Support Officer Ingrid Thompson. ‘We are extremely lucky to have Simon leading our VET team at St Anne’s.’

For Simon, it’s about more than offering students a greater range of subjects to choose from.

‘These are students who would have previously left school early to go into the workforce,’ he says.

‘Now they stay and because they’ve found something they’re interested in they’re doing better in other subjects and getting a good all-round education. We’ve got to keep their options open.’

As well as gaining competencies towards future qualifications, Simon strongly believes that VET courses help young people to develop other necessary work attributes.

‘By engaging in real-world work experiences and interacting with professionals in their chosen fields, students gain confidence, independence and a greater sense of self-awareness,’ he says.

‘This practical training…also helps them develop important employability skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving.’

Simon is also passionate about keeping future generations in country areas.

‘In the past, rural towns bled students going to boarding school. Once they are introduced to a different life, they can never seem to go back,’ he explains.

‘St Anne’s achieved the top results in Riverina last year. You don’t need to leave to get a good education. You can get one here and stay part of the community,’ Simon says.

‘It’s a privilege to be able to teach these students. They don’t get a choice who their teacher is, so I have to do my best for them. If you look after people, you get it back ten times over.’