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Lana’s students scope out endless career opportunities
TAFE Queensland teacher, Lana Bradshaw, wears many hats, but only has one favourite (laboratory) coat and her animal science and laboratory studies students are all the wiser for it.
“I’ve always been a scientist — I really enjoy what I do, and I've always enjoyed teaching people in my job,” Lana began.
“Moving to TAFE Queensland was just an opportunity for me to concentrate more on passing on all the skills I’ve learnt throughout my career, to those who are just starting their careers,” shared Lara.
Lana teaches the Certificate II in Sampling and Measurement (MSL20122) and Certificate III in Laboratory Skills (MSL30122) courses in TAFE Queensland Toowoomba’s state-of-the-art laboratory, and the resulting careers are in high demand.
“These two courses will put graduates in good stead to obtain work as laboratory assistants and technicians across many different industries — pathology, food technology, mining, and trades — all areas with strong employment opportunities,” said Lana.
“Many sampling and testing jobs do not mean that you will be in a white coat and stuck in a laboratory all day. There are opportunities that involve being outdoors — particularly in environmental monitoring which may involve travelling to different (even remote) locations to undertake important water and soil testing. In fact, water and soil testing provide many career opportunities,” Lana continued.
Lana’s initial science career started with the Queensland Government’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in biosecurity.
“My first job was as a Plant Health Inspector with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries which involved monitoring banana plants in the Sunshine Coast. Perhaps the most challenging part of this job was learning to drive a 4WD in some very rough country and avoiding snakes while walking through the banana plantations!” laughed Lana.
Lana then went on to roles that saw her sample and investigate reports of exotic pests and diseases in plants and animals throughout the state and performing laboratory tests for identification and confirmation.
She has also been a field officer in several biosecurity response projects including Red Imported Fire Ants and Asian Honey Bees, plant diseases such as Citrus Canker and Myrtle Rust, and animal disease outbreaks including Hendra Virus and Equine Influenza.
However, Lana’s passion for protecting Queensland’s flora and fauna didn’t stop there.
The other ‘hat’ Lana wears is that of the President of Pittsworth Landcare — a role she is equally passionate about, and one that significantly advantages her TAFE Queensland students, given naturally-occurring field work opportunities.
One of Pittsworth Landcare’s key focuses is to monitor local koala populations, and for this Lana invites her students on field-tips, collecting samples and evidence from koala populations, for analyses back in the laboratory.
“The samples are vital for the research that we’re doing and will give us really important genetic information about our local koalas,” Lana shared.
“The best part about my job is seeing the students learn, develop their skills and their confidence to go out there into the workplace and further their careers,” finished Lana.
TAFE Queensland teachers are passionate about their trades, skills and craft — and Lana is no exception.
“The best part about my job is seeing the students learn, develop their skills and their confidence to go out there into the workplace and further their careers,”