2018 NSW Training Award Winners Announced
Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills John Barilaro and Minister responsible for TAFE NSW Adam Marshall congratulated Michael Edwards and Tara Proberts-Roberts on taking out the top honours at the 2018 NSW Training Awards held tonight at Sydney Town Hall.
Michael, an Electrotechnology apprentice for Snowy Hydro, was named Apprentice of the Year while Tara, a Civil Construction Trainee on the WestConnex M5 project, was named Trainee of the Year. Both completed off-the-job training at TAFE NSW.
“I want to congratulate Michael and Tara, as well as the eleven other category winners named as the best vocational students and organisations in NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.
“These students have shown outstanding dedication and commitment to their vocational education and it just goes to show what can be achieved when choosing a VET pathway,” he said.
Michael was already a qualified mechanic working as a Cloud Seeding Technician at Snowy Hydro when offered an Electrotechnology/Electrician apprenticeship.
Michael’s trainers said his passion for industrial, mechanical and electrical work shone throughout his training and he transferred his mechanical skills seamlessly to the electrical trade.
“Now he has his sights set on further qualifications in industrial automation and electrical engineering. What a go-getter!” Mr Barilaro said.
Tara was a high performing trainee who worked in banking and childcare before making a career leap into civil construction.
Tara’s supervisor recognised her potential and ability to meet challenges and gave her opportunities to develop her skills in construction to the point where she is now considered a future leader.
“Tara has taken on extra training and become a highly valued team member who can tackle many roles and has a continued hunger for more learning. She is a fantastic role model for her family and community - truly outstanding,” Mr Barilaro said.
Mr Marshall said he was delighted so many of the award winners were from TAFE NSW and that the strong results at this year’s awards were a clear demonstration of the high-quality training on offer at TAFE NSW.
“This is a sensation result for our TAFE NSW students and a clear sign that there’s no better place to study a trade than at our public VET provider,” Mr Marshall said.
“Our 2018 winners are proof of the depth of talent and exciting career opportunities on offer through vocational education and training pathways.
“I’d particularly like to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of TAFE NSW students Michael Edwards and Tara Proberts-Roberts who took out top honours at the Training Awards,” he said.
Mr Barilaro said the NSW Government was continually strengthening the VET sector to attract more apprentices and build a skilled workforce for the future.
“We committed $2.2 billion to skills in our latest Budget including $285 million to make all apprenticeships fee-free over the next four years,” Mr Barilaro said.
The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by the NSW Department of Industry in recognition of outstanding achievements in VET.
The Training Award winners will now represent NSW at the Australian Training Awards in Sydney in November.
The Apprentice of the Year Award is sponsored by TAFE NSW and the Trainee of the Year Award is sponsored by VERTO.
View the full list of 2018 NSW Training Award winners.