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Winner: Brad Donaldson, Adelaide, SA
One apprenticeship isn’t enough for 21-year-old Brad Donaldson. Since completing a Certificate III in Engineering (Mechanical), Brad is planning a second apprenticeship in electrical engineering and pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. Brad undertook his apprenticeship with Regency Institute of TAFE, group training company Engineering Employers SA and host employer Clipsal Strathalbyn.
Brad has a keen interest in problem solving and keeps his mind busy after hours modifying cars in his home workshop. His ultimate goals are to obtain a university degree in mechanical engineering and start his own business.
What the winner said: "Definitely consider training. Once you get a trade, you will always have work."
Runner up: David Ringsgwandl, Launceston, Tas
Apprentice mechanic David Ringsgwandl knew he wanted to be in the automotive industry from the age of five. Sixteen years later he is a WorldSkills national bronze medalist and aiming for a Diploma of Motor Sport.
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Winner: Samantha Johnson, Madora, WA
After a troubled adolescence, Samantha Johnson, 23, turned her life around by undertaking a Certificate III – Business Administration with Challenger Institute of TAFE. Samantha’s return to formal learning restored her self-esteem and gave her a new sense of purpose. Now employed as an administrative officer with Mandurah Youth Commitment, Samantha wants to use her business and life skills to help disadvantaged youth.
What the winner said: “I’m really excited…my main ambition in life is to actually help these kids. The training was the door to everything in my life—from my self-confidence, to my employment to just dealing with people in general.”
Runner up: Claire Wallace, Nullawarre, Vic
A dream of owning her own dairy farm inspired 21-year-old Claire Wallace to enroll in a Certificate IV in Agriculture (Dairy) at the University of Melbourne’s Glenormiston Campus. During the traineeship at her family’s farm, Claire initiated a breeding program using artificial insemination techniques learnt in the classroom.
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Winner: Brendan Bishop, Mackay, Qld
A school industry placement first sparked Brendan Bishop’s interest in electronics. Now 23, Brendan is a qualified electrical technician who wants to pass on his enthusiasm to other young people in his community, including participants in the local Indigenous youth employment scheme.
Brendan completed a Certificate III in Engineering (Electronic Security and Alarm Systems) with Southbank Institute of TAFE, group training company MRAEL and host employer Advanced Alarms Mackay.
What the winner said: "Training secured my future and gave me other paths I can take. You start with nothing and come out with a qualification that will take you anywhere you want to go."
Runner up: Sandra Stewart, Mildura, Vic
Sandra Stewart is helping Indigenous artists turn their artistic skills into viable businesses through her work as a business development officer with the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Sandra, 57, completed a Diploma of Business (International Trade) with the Sunraysia Institute of TAFE.
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Winner: Greg Wareham, Frankston, Vic
Qualified butcher Greg Wareham, 36, is setting a powerful example of how training can accelerate careers. After finishing in the top five per cent in his Diploma of Meat Processing Course at Victoria University of Technology, he was promoted to the position of operations manager with his employer G & K O’Connor.
As one of the youngest operations managers in the company, Greg manages 300 employees and is relishing the challenges of his new role.
What the winner said: "I have self-satisfaction in an industry where people are only recognised by what training and qualifications they have. Do training and create your own luck!"
Runner up: Judith Trezise, Darwin, NT
Judith Trezise is using her skills in graphic and web design, workplace training and seafood processing to develop training programs for the seafood industry. The 25-year-old already held several qualifications when she recently completed a Certificate III in Seafood Processing and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training with Seafood and Maritime Industries Training.
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Winner: ACI Glass Packaging (Adelaide operations), South Australia
ACI Glass Packaging, Adelaide, is part of ACI Packaging, an affiliate of Owens-Illinois Inc, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of glass containers. The Adelaide plant employs 274 employees and has a competency based training system for all production and trades employees.
This links directly to a competency based classification and remuneration system and provides a career pathway from factory floor to management. A priority is that training leads to a qualification recognised inside and outside the business. All training is aligned to the company’s business objectives and ACI can provide quantifiable evidence that training and the development of people’s capabilities have contributed to business success.
What they said: “Quality training is paramount; it enables our employees to provide the world-class service experience our customers expect. Well trained people with the right service-focused attitude are the lifeblood of our business.”
Desmond Brown, human resources manager.
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Winner: Mad About Plants, Queensland
Mad About Plants is a wholesale plant nursery at Edmonton outside Cairns in Far North Queensland. Owners Darryl and Katherine Madder bought a rundown business from receivers in 1998, and decided to tackle a shortage of skilled employees by training their own. In the past two years Mad About Plants has facilitated training of the director, the plant sales manager, the office manager and eight nursery staff.
Nursery staff are all working towards, or have achieved a Certificate III, and the next target is Certificate IV. The nursery has reduced water and chemical use 10-fold, continues to increase turnover, and has just released to the world market a new plant species developed by staff.
What they said: “While we encountered some initial teething problems, the nursery now has a qualified and multi-skilled team that can work across all areas of operation.” Daryl Madder, nursery owner.
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Winner: TAFE NSW - North Coast Institute
North Coast Institute has 17 campuses from Kingscliff to Great Lakes and west to Wauchope. With headquarters in Port Macquarie, the institute has around 35,000 students in a region with high unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, where most jobs are in small businesses of fewer than five employees.
North Coast focuses on equipping people for employment and achieving equitable outcomes in a region with a significant Indigenous population. The institute has addressed client and market needs with a high priority on flexible solutions using new technology to facilitate remote access to training.
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Winner: River Murray Training, South Australia
Formed in 1995, River Murray Training is based in the Riverland region of South Australia with four campuses at Berri, Clare, Barossa Valley and Naracoorte. With nine fulltime staff members, including one in California, and regular sub-contractors, it specialises in workplace training solutions for industry and organisations in regional areas—predominantly in the wine industry.
RMT operates in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Northern Territory and the United States. It recently merged into a global business to increase its market and support investment in elearning and learning management systems.
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Winner: Ballina High, New South Wales
Ballina High is a comprehensive public high school in central Ballina, a northern New South Wales fishing and cane-growing community. Over half of its Year 11 and 12 students include at least one VET subject in their higher school certificate.
It has a strong focus on meeting the needs of its indigenous students, who make up 10 per cent of 600-plus school population. Its offerings include a vocationally-oriented “gateway program” for senior students at risk of dropping out, accelerated TAFE enrolment for Year 10 Indigenous students, and peer tutoring training which provides credit towards tertiary education.
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Winner: Auswest Specialist Education and Training Services, Western Australia
Auswest Specialist Education and Training Services was established by the WA Department of Justice as an RTO to deliver training to around 6000 prisoners a year in WA’s 12 prisons and six prisoner work camps. Training is delivered by a team of 40 education personnel, 30 industrial training personnel, 30 TAFE lecturers and more than 100 casual tutors.
Auswest aims to reduce re-offending by improving prisoners’ opportunities for employment post-release. Over the past five years, more than half of WA prisoners have undertaken training—the best rate in the nation.