Congratulations to National Training Award Finalists and Winners

We were thrilled to see so many finalists from the industries we work with in this year’s National Training Awards. The awards showcase best practice in VET and are a wonderful way to celebrate the students, teachers and employers achieving and supporting high results. Read about the winners and finalists below.

Caitlin Radford – Apprentice of the Year Award Winner

Certificate III in Agriculture

Fifth-generation farmer Caitlin Radford grew up living on the land. Hailing from Moriarty on the North West Coast of Tasmania, Caitlin started her Certificate III in Agriculture as a part-time apprentice and through the family farming business.

Caitlin progressed into a Diploma of Agribusiness Management, which she is currently completing through TasTAFE. Read more

Kevin Nunn – VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award Winner

Forestry management and timber training

Kevin Nunn remembers the anxiety and adrenaline he experienced when he felled his first big Ash tree by himself. Having had to learn this skill on the job without any formal training, Kevin jumped at the opportunity to help develop and deliver timber training with TAFE Gippsland. It took him two years to build the timber training unit, which was recognised by industry and the Australian Timber Trainers Association as a provider that educated people beyond industry standards. Read more

Joshua Nickl – Apprentice of the Year Award Finalist

Certificate III in Retail Baking [Combined]

Since starting his apprenticeship Joshua Nickl regularly competes in industry competitions. His first was the Baking Association of Australia’s Pastry Apprentice of the Year in 2016 where he achieved third place. The following year he worked hard to top that achievement and became the 2017 National Apprentice Pastry Chef of the Year. In 2018, Joshua not only topped his class at Canberra Institute of Technology, he was awarded Most Outstanding Apprentice of All Trades. Read more

Cheyne Pearce – Trainee of the Year Award Runner-up

Certificate IV in Horticulture

Inspired by a deep connection to the land and sea, Cheyne Pearce wanted a job where he could work in the natural world and perform a role in its care and protection. To fulfil his passion for the environment and equip himself with the right skills, Cheyne studied a Certificate II in Horticulture at North Metropolitan TAFE, continuing on to the Certificate III and IV. He landed a dream job as a trainee at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens. Read more

Nicole Barrow – Trainee of the Year Award Finalist

Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Nicole Barrow has always known she wanted to work in a profession related to animals. Having gained some experience in the horse breeding industry, Nicole signed up for a traineeship at Rose City Veterinary Hospital in Benalla. Working in a small practice with only two veterinarians on duty at any one time meant Nicole got a lot of first-hand experience dealing with different kinds of emergencies. Nicole was recently awarded Student of the Year at the Box Hill Institute. Read more

Phoebe Storey – Trainee of the Year Award Finalist

Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

After a childhood spent riding and competing on horses, it was natural that Phoebe Storey would choose a career working with animals.

She completed a Bachelor of Animal Science, but still wanted hands-on experience, so she enrolled as a trainee at Redgum Vet & Pet Boarding, undertaking a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Phoebe’s commitment and dedication to her field of work saw her named Port Augusta’s Trainee of the Year in 2018. Also in 2019, she won the District Council of Mount Remarkable’s Junior Citizen of the Year. Read more

Cassandra O’Carroll – Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year Award Runner-up

Certificate II in Conservation and Land Management

During the devastating 2019/20 bushfires, Cassandra was able to apply the scientific skills she learnt in her School-based Traineeship at the Kiama Community College to help injured wildlife. As school captain of Bomaderry High School, Cassandra created the Sustainable Schools Competition where schools compete for prize money by undertaking eco-friendly initiatives.

Cassandra volunteers with National Parks Wildlife Services, was a speaker at climate rallies, a participant in the Sonder Youth Leadership Program Member and is a member of the Youth Voice group who promote positive change in their communities. Read more

St Paul’s College, Kempsey – School Pathways to VET Award Winner

AHC Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package

St Paul’s College in Kempsey is within the Macleay Valley Food Bowl precinct, which has around 650 local agribusinesses. The college empowers students to aim for personal excellence in all areas of their life. In 2015 the college expanded its vocational education program and opened a trades skill centre to focus on primary industries, hospitality and construction. The 2019-20, bushfires severely affected the region and many college families and students were impacted directly. Teachers, students and families joined BlazeAid to build new fences, supporting the local farmers devastated by the fires. The students used the fencing skills they acquired in the primary industries course. Read more

Tasmanian Secondary Colleges RTO – School Pathways to VET Award Finalist

AHC Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management and ACM Animal Care and Management training packages

The Tasmanian Secondary Colleges (TSC) RTO was registered in 2006 to provide VET in schools programs at the eight senior secondary colleges in Tasmania. By delivering training and assessment in 59 qualifications to a range of industries across Tasmania, TSC RTO nurtures the future workforce for many Tasmanian businesses.

Every student who graduated from TSC RTO in 2019 has transitioned to employment. Read more

South West Institute of TAFE – Large Training Provider of the Year Award Winner

AHC Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management and FBP Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical training packages

South West Institute of TAFE (SWTAFE) is the largest VET provider in south-west Victoria. In 2019, SWTAFE delivered training to 5,000 students, which was a 27 per cent increase on the previous year.

A large proportion of training is targeted at skills shortages in growth sectors, including nursing, aged care, community services, health, and food and fibre. Read more

TasTAFE – Large Training Provider of the Year Award Finalist