From Classroom to World Stage: Teacher guides student to success

Melbourne Polytechnic shopfitting student Luca Mascaro has earned a string of achievements, as featured in a recent edition of Tradie Magazine. He won first place in Joinery at the WorldSkills National competition in 2023 and was awarded the prestigious David Provan & Sons Annual Award for Carpentry, Joinery and Cabinet Making.

Luca has also been selected to take part in World Wood Day in Tokyo this March and is currently preparing to showcase his talent designing and creating bespoke wooden items on an international stage.

Luca Mascaro wins first place in Joinery at the 2023 WorldSkills National competition.

We spoke to one of Luca’s mentors, Lukas Page, to find out what it takes to support a successful student, and his own path to becoming a Melbourne Polytechnic teacher.

Going the extra mile:

Lukas is a full-time teacher at Melbourne Polytechnic, specialising in Joinery, Shopfitting and Stairbuilding. In the lead-up to WorldSkills Australia, he trained Luca at least once a week, increasing to multiple additional sessions as the competition approached.

Come competition day, Lukas was in the crowd to see the extra work pay off. “Watching Luca demonstrate his skills and knowledge on a live stage was something I really enjoyed,” he says. 

"Seeing the joy and excitement on Luca’s face when he was called up on stage as a gold medallist made all the time and effort we put in worth it.”

From student to mentor - the path to teaching:

Lukas knows the kinds of doors winning a WorldSkills competition can open. He won the national Joinery competition himself back in 2010, while completing a Certificate III in Off-site Construction (Joinery) at Melbourne Polytechnic.

Following the competition Lukas was awarded a BBM Global Industry Scholarship, allowing him to travel to the UK for team leadership training and a job opportunity.

When he returned to Melbourne in 2012, Lukas secured work with his own WorldSkills mentor, who encouraged him to explore a career in teaching while he completed a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment TAE40122.

He became a proud Melbourne Polytechnic teacher soon after graduating.

Growing skills and confidence:

One of the things Lukas enjoys most about his role as a teacher is watching his students evolve. Training is conducted in a simulated work environment that increases in complexity over time, creating skilled workers who are industry ready.

“Seeing the students mature through their time spent at school and on the job is incredibly fulfilling,” Lukas says.

“You build a relationship during their training, watching them grow as a student and a tradesperson.”

Lukas is often on hand to offer extra support. He guides his students to build confidence and self-belief – developing important life skills that support career growth.

“Luca’s determination and commitment to tasks in and outside of the classroom is one of the main reasons my team nominated him for the David Provan & Sons Award,” explains Lukas.

“He shows great work ethic, passion, a friendly personality, and a willingness to assist others with work tasks, giving anything a go. These are qualities that will aid Luca throughout his career.”

Luca Mascaro concentrates during the 2023 WorldSkills competition.

What’s next?

For both Lukas and Luca, the journey continues.

Luca is finishing up his Certificate III in Shopfitting CPC30120 this year and is getting ready to participate in World Wood Day in Tokyo this month, under Lukas’ continued guidance and training.

Lukas is also training two new WorldSkills competitors for the next national competition, scheduled to take place in Brisbane this June.