Western Australia Minister for Training and Workforce Development Peter Collier
State’s Training Elite Recognised and Rewarded
Victor P Taffa
The achievements of the brightest and best in the State’s training sector were recognised during the Western Australian Training Awards last night, hosted by Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier.
The awards rewarded the outstanding achievements of apprentices, trainees and vocational students and the contribution of training providers and employers.
“Finalists have excelled in their chosen fields and some will go on to represent WA at the Australian Training Awards in Sydney in November.” Mr. Collier said.
“Last year, WA achieved it’s greatest-ever result at the national awards, which is testament to the strength of training in this State.”
As the youngest person to gain employment as an offshore apprentice with the Energy Apprenticeship Group, Emerson Lievense won the coveted WA Apprentice of the Year award.
As a 16-year-old high school student, Emerson decided that an apprenticeship in electrical instrumentation was the best way to get practical experience in the oil and gas industry.
With a keen interest for youth work, Denese Smythe was named the WA Vocational Student of the Year, training at CY O’Connor College of TAFE.
Eugene Winmar, who trained at Challenger Institute of Technology, was named the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year. Eugene is passionate about Aboriginal culture and plans to run his own cultural tourism business.
WA Trainer of the Year was Central Institute of Technology’s geoscience lecturer Charles Dornan, who was acknowledged for his relevant, industry-based teachings that led to many of his students being sought after for jobs as soon as they completed their training.
Durack Institute of Technology in Geraldton was named the WA Large Training Provider of the Year and the College of Electrical Training in Perth was named the WA Small Training Provider of the Year.
“WA is about to embark on a new period of economic growth, with an unprecedented number of major projects planned or under way in the State.” the Minister said.
“By training the right people, for the right job at the right time, the State Government is helping to ensure WA’s economic stability into the future.” Mr. Collier said.
Winners of the WA Training Awards 2010:
WA Apprentice of the Year 2010 – Emerson Lievense
As a 16-year-old high school student, Emerson decided an apprenticeship in electrical instrumentation was the best way to get practical experience in the oil and gas industry. The youngest person to gain employment as an offshore apprentice with the Energy Apprenticeship Group, Emerson is now complementing his apprenticeship training with a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Southern Queensland. When not at work, Emerson is a volunteer youth ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Association – a program that supports young people to reach their potential.
WA Trainee of the Year 2010 – Hayley Easter
Living and working hundreds of kilometres from the nearest town might be a daunting prospect for some but for Haley Easter it is paradise. Working as a stockperson at Spring Creek station in the East Kimberly, Hayley combines her love of horses with agriculture. Deciding to do a Certificate IV in Agriculture to complement the everyday work she was doing on the cattle station, Hayley learned skills as diverse as branding calves, mustering and cooking damper.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year 2010 – Eugene Winmar
Eugene Winmar is passionate about Aboriginal culture and is keen to promote it to other West Australians. Currently working at the Winjan Aboriginal Corporation, Eugene wants to run his own cultural tourism business and enrolled in a Certificate IV Tourism and Certificate IV Training and Assessment to help him achieve his goal. A founding member of Manja Cultural Tours – a business that offers cultural road shows, art workshops and bush stories – Eugene is building up experience before he goes out on his own.
WA Vocational Student of the Year 2010 – Denese Smythe
Seeing the positive difference one person can make to someone’s life is the driving force behind Denese Smythe’s involvement in youth work. After being thrown into a new role without having much experience, Denese took it upon herself to improve her youth work skills by enrolling in a Certificate III Youth Work. Currently the youth connections manager for Regional Development Australia Wheatbelt Incorporated, Denese works with ‘at risk’ young people who are in danger of not completing Year 12.
WA School-based Apprentice of the Year 2010 – Hudson O’Dwyer-Flynn
Hudson O’Dwyer-Flynn chose a school-based apprenticeship so he could get a head start on his career in the electrical industry. With a view to one day managing his own electrical business, Hudson is working towards his Certificate III in Business Management and Enterprise to give him the knowledge and skills he needs to be successful. When Hudson is not busy studying, he can often be found at the Roleystone Bush Fire Service command centre helping local volunteers fight the summer bushfires.
WA Trainer of the Year 2010 - Charles Dornan, Central Institute of Technology
Geoscience lecturer, Charles Dornan is not your average trainer. Through his close ties with industry, Charles provides his students with relevant, industry-based training that has directly resulted in many of his students being offered sought-after for jobs as soon as they complete their training. Referring to the ‘unique feeling’ of knowing he can make a positive difference to someone’s life as the main reason he trains, Charles considers learning a two-way street that offers benefits to both trainer and students.
WA Small Business of the Year 2010 – Verriers Engineering Services
A strong training culture and a proud history of developing its workforce have helped Verriers Engineering Services become the powerhouse business it is today. Named WA and Prime Minister’s Small Business of the Year in 2008, the family-owned and operated business has been supporting the transport, mining, agricultural and food industries for the past 64 years. With a long term vision for sustained success, Verriers Engineering Services is a business at the top of its game.
WA Employer of the Year 2010 – Chevron Australia
Built on ‘human energy’, Chevron Australia puts its people at the centre of its core business – from protecting their health and safety to providing them with an environment to develop new skills. Chevron Australia’s current workforce is expected to access more than 1,000 training courses across all professional disciplines in 2010 as the company gears up for significant growth on the back of WA’s resources projects. Chevron Australia has been a major player in Australia’s energy industry for the past 60 years and, after increasing the size of its workforce by 100 per cent during the past 12 months, Chevron Australia is well prepared for an exciting future.
WA Training Initiative 2010 – Advanced Skills Development Project: Rio Tinto Iron Ore
Rio Tinto’s Advanced Skills Development Initiative is changing the way the company operates by moving the operating culture from compliance to striving for excellence. The initiative is helping Rio Tinto identify and define the specific skills mining operators need to ensure they can carry out their work safely and efficiently. As the world’s second biggest producer of seaborn iron ore and one of Australia’s biggest and most profitable exporters, Rio Tinto’s training initiative is helping to prepare tomorrow’s workforce today.
WA VET in Schools Excellence 2010 – Kimberley TAFE
Through the college’s Hook, Line and Thinker program, students are offered flexible and diverse training that also addresses critical issues such as literacy and numeracy. Beginning in the remote indigenous community of Lombadina with 13 students, the program has spread throughout the Kimberley and hosts 61 students across five programs and four Australian Qualification Framework levels. Despite having to cover an area almost twice the size of Victoria, Kimberley TAFE is showing that geography is no barrier to providing training that matters.
WA Small Training Provider of the Year 2010 – College of Electrical Training
With two campuses north and south of the Swan River, the college is responsible for training more than 50 % of all electrical apprentices in WA. While the majority of training is delivered face-to-face, the college recognises the need for flexible training delivery and offers online learning in a number of areas. With plans under way to build a third campus in Perth’s northern corridor, the College of Electrical Training is surging ahead in its bid to be WA’s best small training provider.
WA Large Training Provider of the Year 2010 – Durack Institute of Technology
A strong focus on responsive and tailored training services to industry has seen Durack Institute of Technology recently increase its recognition of prior learning services and put in place new arrangements to streamline apprenticeships and traineeships. A runner-up in the Large Training Provider of the Year category at the WA Training Awards 2009, the college is now focused on ensuring local people have the right skills to take advantage of local employment opportunities. A dedicated team of professional trainers, innovative training delivery options and a vast array of training courses have all been key ingredients in Durack Institute of Technology’s recipe for success.
WA International Training Provider of the Year 2010 – Central Institute of Technology
A comprehensive International Strategy is the driving force behind Central Institute of Technology’s success as an international training provider. With about 1,300 international students from more than 81 countries, the college encourages students of all ages, nationalities and ethnic backgrounds to fulfil their dreams through training. Backed by a strategy that encourages student participation and an integrated approach to learning, Central Institute of Technology is taking training global.
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