With the number of apprentices and trainees increasing across Australia, it is important to recognise this contribution to their own futures and the economy as a whole.
As such, the Australian Training Awards has been held annually since 1994 and honours both apprentices and companies for their outstanding achievements over the past 12 months. This year, the awards were held in Hobart on November 19 with Western Australia scooping two major honours.
Western Australian winners
Representatives from the state picked up Australian Apprentice of The Year and Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of The Year. While two businesses from Western Australia were named in best in the country for training.
Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey explained that this highlighted the strength of the Western Australian workforce.
“It was inspiring to see so many West Australian finalists competing at a national level and showcasing the exceptional talent the State’s training sector has to offer,” she said.
“I would like to extend congratulations to the four West Australian award recipients for their outstanding achievements and to commend them on the passion, enthusiasm and dedication they have towards training.”
Representing Western Australia
According to the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD), apprentices that were nominated for the national awards travelled to Tasmania earlier in the week in order to participate in professional development activities in their chosen industries.
As well as this, they were able to connect to finalists from other parts of Australia to expand their networks and gain further insight into their field.
Ms Harvey said all the state’s finalists worked very hard and deserved to receive the accolades they received.
“Each individual and organisation was chosen to represent WA because of the dedication they have shown, whether it’s learning the ropes as an apprentice or leading the way in training delivery.”
Western Australia apprenticeship statistics
The state should feature prominently in these awards in the coming years, if the latest statistics are anything to go by. The DTWD report that there were 8,620 apprenticeships commenced in the 12 months to March 31 2015 – 2.1 per cent higher than in the 12 months previous.
It is important to highlight the fact that the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders starting apprenticeships also rose 9.5 per cent over the same time period.
Western Australia is a hub for job activity and with this showing no signs of slowing down, an apprenticeship could be a great option for job seekers moving forward.
By Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator
