Career change revs up former diesel mechanic

By Greg Chapman

After 18 years as a diesel mechanic, Ben Velvin took steps to CQUniversity to change his career path – a decision which has led him all the way to a teaching position at Cairns State High School.

For someone who also struggled in school, Ben has come full circle to help young people find their way and he says it’s all thanks to CQU’s Skills for Tertiary Entry Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program.

“I had been a Diesel mechanic for 18 years and wanted a career change. Due to not meeting the minimum criteria for entering university, I needed to complete a bridging course,” he said.

“Changing careers in your mid-30s and with a family is extremely daunting. Completing the STEPS course helped to consolidate my decision to change careers and give me the confidence to enrol in a university degree.”

Ben said the STEPS course changed his outlook on education and gave him the confidence to succeed.

“The STEPS course was amazing, especially because of the teaching staff.  Virginia Kruger and the team at the Cairns campus helped me to understand how to engage in and be successful in tertiary education,” he said.

“As a student in high school, I struggled with writing, so much so, that I failed English for most of my high school years. The essay writing unit in STEPS fixed that and was the single most beneficial unit for me. It taught me how to write good essays. And as I can more fully appreciate now, essay writing is a foundational skill required to be successful at university.”

After completing STEPS, Ben immediately enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and graduated in 2022 with distinction. He now works as an Industrial Technology and Design teacher at Cairns State High, a role that he relishes.

“I chose teaching because I want to be able to give hope to students who are like me and struggle with some of the academic work in schools, and who might believe that failure at school equates to failure in life,” he said. 

“Speaking with other students in my Bachelor of Education degree who did not do the STEPS course, I think it is safe to say that completing STEPS gave me a big advantage over my peers. I could not recommend it any higher. 

“If I didn't meet Virginia and Chris and complete the STEPS course, I don't believe that I would have been successful in changing careers. I think university would've become too hard for me, and I might have even been tempted to quit. STEPS made it all possible.”