Flexible and inclusive: TAFE teacher transforms cyber security course

Dr Adam Bignold didn’t set out to become Australia’s top vocational teacher but that’s exactly what he is, due to his passion for hands-on learning.

The cyber security expert from Federation University TAFE in Ballarat found the 9 to 5 grind of his previous career as a data scientist didn’t really suit him.

“I realised I really enjoyed walking into the classroom and teaching all these students about these fantastic new advances in technology and the amazing things that hackers were doing to protect us,” Adam said.

So he went back to school, adding a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and an Associate Degree in Adult and Vocational Education to his already impressive list of credentials.

Given the choice of bringing his love of teaching to TAFE or university, Adam didn’t hesitate.

“TAFE won hands down because it was very aligned to my own goals. TAFE is hands-on, it’s practical. You get to work with the technologies from day one - so TAFE was a very natural move for me,” he said.

While Adam loved his role as a TAFE teacher, he saw plenty of room for improving the way his cyber security course was delivered.

“You want courses that work for real people. That means that you need a classroom that can support a recent school leaver and a 45-year-old career changer. You need a classroom that can support parents that have got sick kids and neurodiverse students that really need just one task at a time,” he said.

Adam designed a course where students can choose to learn in the classroom or remotely, with classes offered during the day and at night. He also introduced flexible deadlines for assessments and made sure the course content aligned closely with what’s happening in the industry.

Thanks to this innovative approach, Adam’s students are thriving.

“Our students participate in international hacking competitions against professional hackers, cybersecurity companies, government employees, and it is fantastic to see them stand alongside those professionals.

“They are applying their skills solving real world problems and they are working with industry as part of their learning,” he said.

The results of Adam’s hard work speak for themselves – student retention rates have gone up and female participation has doubled.

Not only have his students benefited from this flexible and inclusive approach, Adam was recognized with the Australian VET Teacher of the Year Award in 2024 for the incredible impact he has made.

Want to study with Adam? Find out more about studying cyber security through Free TAFE.