Toby looks back on bricklaying training with pride
Toby Tosh has come a long way since completing his construction training at CQU TAFE in 2015, building a career from Bangkok to Brisbane brick by brick.
CQUniversity caught up with Toby as part of its 10-year anniversary celebrations of CQU merging with CQ TAFE to see what achievements he’s made since his training.
Although he completed his initial construction training in 2012 Toby undertook some of his apprenticeship block training with CQU TAFE in Mackay and Rockhampton in 2015 and received some support and assistance when he entered a WorldSkills Australia competition.
Soon after WorldSkills, Toby secured a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build the Australian Embassy in Thailand's capital, Bangkok.
“The experience I gained both professionally and personally on the trip to Thailand is something I still struggle to come to terms with,” he said.
“After moving out of home as a young 19-year-old into the hustle and bustle of the centre of Bangkok, while supervising more than 20 Thai bricklayers at times, I came home with a wealth of knowledge in so many different aspects on life.”
Toby competed in WorldSkills at the time at the behest of his CQU TAFE teachers Peter Carr and Tony Bishop.
“They saw potential in me after a flunked first attempt in a WorldSkills competition. They dragged me down to compete in the regionals where things finally clicked,” he said.
“I ended up topping the Queensland results and furthermore closely placed fourth in the national comp in Perth when I was just 18. The Bangkok opportunity came from this.”
Now, years later, Toby is running his own business in the Brisbane region – TLT Masonry and he said he often calls upon his learnings from his days at CQU TAFE.
“I ended setting up base in South-east Queensland once I finished up in Bangkok, working for my dad for quite a few years before I leapt into starting my own business,” he said.
During the covid downturn he shifted temporarily into the food manufacturing industry where he got to see a different side to business and export, but it wasn’t long before the trowel dragged him back in and he decided to start his business.
“Since starting TLT Masonry I've taken on some larger commercial jobs, which are some of the largest projects I've been involved in since the Embassy in Bangkok,” he said.
“The largest so far being a 13-storey building and larger ones currently in the pipeline. Whilst some projects are quite large some of the ones I pride myself on the most are the smaller technical, architectural-type projects we complete.”
Toby is also passing on what he learned to his staff with one apprentice who has almost finished his training. He also currently has six employees with expansion in mind.
He said he is thankful for the opportunities his training provided.
“Absolutely, particularly from the legend of Peter Carr who was my bricklaying teacher, I owe quite a lot of my success to Pete and I should also send a shout out to Tony Bishop,” he said.
“TAFE training is incredibly important to build the knowledge base of your trade with things you may not see on site every day. It’s also a chance to create relationships and opportunities for further expansion of your knowledge of the trade.
“If I could offer any advice, it would be to knuckle down young, take all opportunities you get thrown at you and go hard!”
To learn more about CQU TAFE visit https://www.cqu.edu.au/study/tafe.
Read more inspiring 10 years of TAFE stories:
- TAFE and tresses empower Sherrie’s career - CQUniversity
- Jeszare says time at CQU TAFE helped him cook up a career as a chef - CQUniversity
- Decade of learning and leadership transforms Rockhampton education - CQUniversity
