Now in its 30th year, the Awards recognise excellence in VET among apprentices, trainees, VET students, teachers, practitioners, employers and training providers from across Australia.
Winners from the state’s own training awards, hosted by the South Australian Skills Commission, joined their contemporaries from around Australia to compete for the nation’s top awards – and they didn’t disappoint, bringing home a huge pool of awards.
- Lara Wilson took out the Australian School-Based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year for her determination to follow her dream of becoming a teacher.
- Zander Lee took a leap of faith when they decided to kickstart a new career as a lighting technician, and now they can add national Vocational Student of the Year to their list of achievements.
- South Australia’s first qualified female stonemason and business owner, Bianca Taylor, became the runner-up for the Apprentice of the Year Award.
- Thebarton Senior College’s Gateway to VET Program earned it Silver in the School Pathways to VET Award.
- The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Education Centre took out the Silver for the Innovation in VET Award for its alternative training delivery models and developing products and services responsive to industry needs.
- FCTA – Building Careers offers bespoke training in critical trades such as bricklaying, stonemasonry, tiling and heritage, earning it Gold in the Small Training Provider of the Year Award.
- Finally, TAFE SA took out the Gold for Large Training Provider of the Year for its crucial role in ensuring South Australians have access to quality education and training.
These are amazing results for South Australia, demonstrating that we’re punching above our weight on the national stage when it comes to training the next generation of skilled workers.
In partnership with the Australian Government, South Australia has invested $2.3 billion as part of the National Skills Agreement, placing skills at the centre of the state’s economic growth.
Since 2022, TAFE enrolment numbers have gone up for the first time in more than a decade, while Fee-Free TAFE and more courses offered at regional campuses have seen an extra 15,000 people able to access training.
Congratulations to all the winners at the Australian Training Awards, but especially to our South Australian contingent, who are not only ambassadors and role models for our local skills sector, but also testament to the important work happening in South Australia.
