QUEENSLANDERS WIN FIVE AUSTRALIAN TRAINING AWARDS

Queensland has won five awards at the prestigious Australian Training Awards honouring the nation’s top apprentices, trainees, training providers and employers.

Education and Training Minister, Rod Welford, said the success demonstrated that Queensland was setting high standards in terms of its training approaches and outcomes.

“These awards show that Queensland is right up there with the rest of the country in producing highly-skilled individuals who are well placed in the jobs market,” Mr Welford said.

“I want to congratulate Tracy Sutton and Roeina Edmund who are both very talented young people. Their awards encourage them to keep working hard.

“I particularly want to congratulate the Bremer Institute of TAFE – its award as Large Training Provider of the Year against some tough competition is an outstanding effort.”

Queensland’s major winners are:

• Tracy Sutton, Kilkivan, Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year
• Roeina Edmund, Cairns, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
• The Bremer Institute of TAFE, Large Training Provider of the Year

Industry award winners are:

• Cooloola Shire Council - for Government and Community Safety
• John Holland SMP Rockhampton - for Manufacturing

In addition, Luke Norford of Townsville, was awarded runner-up in the Stella Axarlis Australian School Based Apprentice of the Year.

The other Queensland finalists in the Australian Training Awards were:

• Piper Central Child Care Centre, Bundaberg, Prime Minister’s Small Business of the Year award
• Stanthorpe State High School, VET in Schools Excellence
• QANTM College, Brisbane, Small Training Provider of the Year
• Emanuela Pagani, Gold Coast, Vocational Student of the Year
• Joshua Stemm, Brisbane, Australian Apprentice of the Year

The Australian Training Awards acknowledge the contribution of apprentices, trainees, training providers and employers to vocational education and training and skills development in the workforce.

Media contacts: Greg Milne or Marnie Stitz on 32371000

Australian Apprenticeships Trainee of the Year
Tracy Sutton, Kilkivan. Qualification: Certificate III Community Services Work
Employer: Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation. Training provider: Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE. Telephone:0429 182 022

Through her traineeship at Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation, Tracy completed a Community Services traineeship. She was involved in programs directly aimed at providing rural communities with services and training that would normally be unavailable to them.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
Roeina Edmund, Cairns. Qualification:Certificate IV in Aeroskills (Mechanical)
Training provider:Aviation Australia. Telephone:0405 058 942
Employer: BMD Constructions. Telephone:0401 467 990

While studying Mechanical Aeroskills, Roeina Edmund learned everything from basic hardware identification and tool-use to piston engine theory, systems and maintenance practices.

Large Training Provider of the Year
The Bremer Institute of TAFE, Ipswich

The Bremer Institute of TAFE works to meet the training requirements of a diverse range of people, helping refugees, disengaged youth and parenting teenagers to build literacy and numeracy skills through its role in the Education and Training Reforms for the Future initiative. The Institute has developed a direct TAFE-to-uni linkage in partnership with the University of Southern Queensland.

Manufacturing Industry Award
John Holland SMP Rockhampton

Since John Holland’s Rockhampton operation was established in 1990, 72 boilermakers have been trained through traditional apprenticeships and a further 76 employees have been trained with a wide range of skills. With help from local training providers and high schools, John Holland’s Rockhampton has become proactive in youth training, increasing the number of trainees and initiating a number of innovative training programs.

Government and Community Safety Industry Award
Cooloola Shire Council, Gympie

Up-skilling existing staff to reach their full potential is an ongoing priority at Cooloola Shire Council. Training needs are assessed through an annual appraisal. Help with education expenses is available for approved courses. Cadetships, apprenticeships, traineeships and school-based traineeships have been offered by the organisation.