While working as a carpenter on prison-based projects, Liam Fraser gravitated towards teaching and training inmates and in 2013 joined the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) as a VET lecturer. He received on-the-job mentoring while teaching all 15 units in the Certificate II in Construction, was promoted to senior lecturer in 2016 and now leads an academic team in construction at BIITE.

Liam works across the Northern Territory, training students, including inmates, in classrooms, in prison, on campuses and building sites alongside industry, government and community partners. Many of his students, who are all Indigenous, have experienced obstacles in their education and learning confidence. Liam believes his challenge is to build students’ confidence and gain their trust, enabling positive and life-changing learning experiences. In 2015, 80 per cent of the 219 students enrolled in construction certificates at BIITE graduated and 43 students in the prison graduated with a Certificate II.