Friday, 22 September 2017

Apprentices, trainees, teachers and training providers will take centre stage at this year’s Victorian Training Awards.

Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria Region today congratulates Aiden Lowater, who is nominated for the Victorian Koorie Student of the Year Award.

Aiden studied for his Certificate III in Business Administration at Skillinvest and is on a pathway to achieving his dream of one day being a police officer.

With a school-based traineeship including a one-day-a-week placement at Moe Police Station, Aiden is not only gaining insight into elements of police work, his confidence is also growing.

Aiden was the recipient of a Lowanna College Middle School Principal’s Award. He is also a CFA volunteer, a boundary umpire for the reserves in the Mid Gippsland Football League and a peer group mentor for Operation Flinders, an outreach program for young indigenous people.

The awards, now in its 63rd year, celebrate excellence in the training system, showcasing collaboration between industry and training providers.

This year’s awards feature 15 categories including six individual categories. The Lynne Kosky Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement and the People’s Choice Award for Apprentice of the Year again feature this year.

Ms Shing said Victoria is leading the way nationally in delivering high quality training with students having the opportunity to learn the skills they need to get a job, and delivering a skilled workforce for industry.

Through Skills First, the Andrews Labor Government is delivering a strong and stable training and TAFE system that is better aligned to industry needs by delivering real training for real jobs.

The awards will be presented at Crown Palladium on 11 October with individual, employer, small and large training provider categories representing Victoria at the Australian Training Awards in Canberra in November.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“Aiden is a well-deserved finalist. This award highlights the fantastic work happening in the training system here in Gippsland”

“I’m proud to be a part of a government who’ll always support training and TAFE after years of neglect by the Liberals and the Nationals.”

Quotes attributable to Minister of Training and Skills Gayle Tierney:

“The Victorian Training Awards are a chance for us to celebrate all the great work that is going on across all areas of the training system.”

“We’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the training and TAFE system to benefit apprentices, trainees, industry and communities.”