Australian Training Awards Magazine 2010 - Department of ...

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What a difference a year makes Blake McCarthy 2009 Australian Apprentice of the Year It’s been a busy year for Blake McCarthy, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He is halfway through his twoyear traineeship with Apprenticeships Australia, in conjunction with the Energy Apprenticeships Group and Woodside, working on the Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas project in Karratha, Western Australia. ‘It’s close to a once in a lifetime opportunity. Gas plants don’t start up every day. Some people work in the industry for 20 years and never get this opportunity—although others travel around the world to do this job,’ Blake says. Overseas travel is on the horizon for Blake, who plans to travel to one of Woodside’s overseas projects with his Australia Overseas Foundation Scholarship. Working two weeks on and two weeks off helps Blake find time for speaking engagements, visits to schools, career expo and Industry Skills Council meetings. ‘It’s been a full-on year—I’ve been to every state except Tasmania and the Northern Territory. I’ve presented quite a few awards, been on judging panels, and been involved with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development.’ Blake was appointed as a governing council member for Polytechnic West, which he says is eye-opening, and still finds time for the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, recently adding a heavy rigid truck licence and a Certificate III in Public Safety (Firefighting and Emergency Operations) to his list of qualifications. He is completing a Certificate III in Process Plant Operations at Woodside through the Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training, and will then study a Masters of Business Administration part time at Murdoch University, supported by a scholarship from the ElectroComms Contracting Foundation, which was established by the National Electrical and Communications Association. Dasha Newington 2009 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year For Dasha Newington, vocational education and training articulated into study to become a doctor. Dasha’s VET studies included a Certificate III in Disability Work, Certificate III in Aged Care, a Diploma of Counselling and Communication, and an Advanced Diploma of Applied Social Science (Counselling). Now in her second-last year of a post-graduate medicine degree, Dasha also regularly draws on the Diploma of Aboriginal Studies she completed in 2008. 30 Australian Training Awards Magazine 2010
‘Next week I’m going to Broken Hill for six months to do my GP practical clinic work at Maari Ma Aboriginal Clinic. Hopefully I’ll get to spend some time in Wilcannia and also time with the Flying Doctors,’ says Dasha, who plans to become a paediatric surgeon. ‘I want to make surgery more accessible to Aboriginal people so I’d like to do rural clinics,’ she says. ‘We still only have one Aboriginal surgeon in Australia and none that I’m aware of currently in training, so it will be at least six years before we have another one.’ Dasha is on the student representative council for the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and was an Australian Training Awards judge in 2010. She hosted the 20th anniversary NSW TAFE Gili Awards (for Indigenous students and staff) at the Sydney Opera House, appeared on a promotional DVD, Inspiring Indigenous Stories, and has been mentoring Indigenous primary school students. She is proof of how far vocational education and training can take you. WA Department of Corrective Services 2009 Australian Training Initiative Over the last 12 months, the WA Department of Corrective Services has continued to expand its training program. ‘We’re up to 18 qualifications now to meet the needs of an increased prisoner population,’ says Ray Chavez, Acting Managing Director, Education and Vocational Training Unit. ‘As part of this through-care model, prisoners are set a career path upon sentence and are case managed until they are released. Upon release they are supported post placement for up to 12 months to ensure they are given every opportunity to succeed. Our through-care model also allows us to determine how effective our training is and how we can identify emerging skills gaps,’ he says. 31 Australian Training Awards Magazine 2010 ‘We had 5855 students in 2010, up from 5013 last year. We have more than some TAFE colleges out here.’ Larry Smith, Manager of Prisoner Employment Programs says supporting prisoners once they’re placed in a job is very important. ‘In 2010, we had 197 prisoners placed into employment upon release. Of that, only 15 have returned to prison, so that’s about a 92 per cent non-return rate. We’ve developed extensive links with outside providers, particularly big mining companies focusing on training Aboriginal prisoners and giving them skills for employment when they’re released,’ Larry says.
Page 1 and 2: JASON’S CAREER LIGHTS UP AS 2010
Page 3 and 4: A word from the Minister What an am
Page 5 and 6: ‘I definitely recommend doing an
Page 7 and 8: ‘Our employees are given every op
Page 9 and 10: ‘I believe that you learn as much
Page 11 and 12: ‘One of my goals in 2011 is to be
Page 13 and 14: A career highlight for Rory so far
Page 15 and 16: ‘We wanted to position the instit
Page 17 and 18: Outside work, Yazmin volunteers at
Page 19 and 20: ‘Industrylink has by far been my
Page 21 and 22: ‘My vocational training gave me a
Page 23 and 24: ‘We have never wavered from our v
Page 25 and 26: ‘Winning this award is great reco
Page 27 and 28: ‘It’s really important for us t
Page 29 and 30: Anvers Confectionery AgriFood When
Page 31: National Focus AWARDS 2011 Introduc
Page 35 and 36: LARGE TRAINING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

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