Individuals, employers and organisations have until March 21 to put forward the names of the apprentices, trainees, students, employers and businesses leading their industries in regards to apprenticeships and traineeships in Queensland.
Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek explained the awards are a great time to acknowledge the hard work and innovations being achieved by individuals and institutions across the state. Additionally, the contributions and improvements put forward by the government have also been acknowledged.
“We are revitalising frontline education services as promised and giving students and employers greater choice and access to quality training,” Mr Langbroek said in a March 7 media release.
Approximately 62,000 people in Queensland completed a Certificate III qualification or higher during the last financial year, Mr Langbroek revealed.
“These graduates have many inspiring stories about how training has helped them succeed, achieve their goals and improve their lives. The awards aim to highlight these achievements,” he explained.
The 2013 Queensland Apprentice of the Year winner, Sarah Lacey, is encouraging Queenslanders to nominate an individual for this award. She shared an example of the benefits of taking part in the Queensland Training Awards nominations with Assistant Minister for Technical and Further Education Saxon Rice on December 17.
Ms Lacey explained how the awards gave her an opportunity to showcase her skills in addition to meeting other like-minded apprentices and trainees in Queensland.
“It’s also been great to network with others who have done the same or similar trades and getting to know a pretty interesting group of people has been a big part of it,” she said.
Additionally, the 2013 Vocational Student of the Year category winner Sarah Eden spoke to Mr Langbroek on March 7 regarding her win. Ms Eden won the award after putting her own name forward while studying to become a nurse in Queensland.
“The awards were a great validation of my hard work,” Ms Eden said.
“I entered as an individual who wanted to promote the limitless possibilities of vocational training, particularly in nursing. I enjoyed participating in the program and also gained a great deal professionally from the experience.”
Last year, Queensland sent 14 apprentices and trainees to the Australian Training Awards, including nine winners of QTA awards. The Queenslanders then took home four out of the 18 awards on offer.
If you would like to nominate an individual or business this year, head to the official QTA website today.
By Leanne de Toerkenczy, Public Relations Coordinator
