2009 State winners

Congratulations to our 2009 Queensland Training Awards winners.

Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year

Craig Folker
Training provider: Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
Qualification: Certificate III in Engineering - Electrical/Electronic Trade
Employer: Riviera Marine

After spending most of his weekends boating, fishing and playing water sports, Craig took to his Riviera Group apprenticeship like a duck to water. Helping build luxury boats for customers around the world means Craig strives for high quality workmanship, a trait that has seen him win a host of awards including the organisation’s 2008 Apprentice of the Year title and the Prime Minister’s Award for Skills Excellence in the electrotechnology category. He is now planning on joining the Volunteer Marine Rescue organisation.

Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year

Michael Pope
Training provider: Applied Training Solutions Pty Ltd
Qualification: Certificate IV in Competitive Manufacturing
Employer: Queensland Alumina Limited

While Michael has worked in the alumina and mining industry for 20 years, the current economic crisis has made him even more aware of keeping his skills competitive. A highlight has been developing an audiovisual training package, which describes how to maintain his organisation’s spent liquor steam-powered turbines. Michael has even shared his training skills with his mother, using processes to help her remember how to reverse and tow her caravan.

Vocational Student of the Year

Ariella Anderson
Training provider: Wide Bay Institute of TAFE
Qualification: Diploma of Visual Art

Ariella says being a ceramic artist has given her space and liberty to document her journey as a female artist settling into Australian culture, after moving to Bundaberg from Israel. Juggling her studies while raising three children, Ariella has enhanced her practical skills while learning to manage the business side of the art industry. Her work has featured in exhibitions, commissioned art works and was even included as part of an educational CD-ROM for art students at the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom.

School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year

Priyanka Luecke
Training provider: Martin College
Qualification: Certificate III in Business Administration
School based: Balmoral State High School
Employer: Vicki Stocks Accountant

Priyanka hopes to work for the United Nations in finance and international business relations, so undertaking her traineeship with an accountant has been a step in the right direction. Learning skills such as time management and communicating with clients has strengthened her industry knowledge about issues such as superannuation and the stock market. The talented school captain has even helped friends and family members complete their tax returns, and she won Martin College’s 2008 Academic Excellence Award for her efforts.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year

Vincent Schrieber
Training provider: Simmonds & Bristow
Qualification: Certificate II in Water Industry Operations

Vincent sees water management as an essential service for his community, and doesn’t mind being on call to ensure safety for supplies, beaches and the ocean. Since completing his certificate, Vincent has gained permanent fulltime employment and manages two work crews with up to eight staff. The father of four has also faced some unusual on-the-job challenges as he maintains Yarrabah’s water systems, such as coming across snakes and crocodiles.

Small employer of the Year

Gilkatho Pty Ltd
Milton
3876 1210
www.gilkatho.com.au

Located in Milton, Gilkatho has been a coffee and equipment distributor since automatic machines took off in 1999. Four of its seven staff are currently undertaking further study or training, and the organisation values a skilled workforce as an essential ingredient in its success. Individual job roles and career aspirations are taken into consideration when planning training, while internal sessions are held weekly to cover company-specific information such as pricing, warranties and product knowledge.

Employer of the Year

Queensland Alumina Limited
Gladstone
4976 2211
www.qal.com.au

As one of Gladstone’s largest employers, Queensland Alumina Limited employs 1175 staff and more than 300 contractors, operating 24 hours every day to run one of the world’s largest alumina refineries. Over the past few years, the company’s training landscape has changed from being considered a cost to becoming a source of competitive advantage. A centralised, systematic approach focuses on refining and improving services, while staff also benefit from a safer and more flexible working environment.

Private Training Provider of the Year

Blue Dog Training
3166 3900
www.bluedogtraining.com.au

Blue Dog Training began in 2005 to meet the needs of Queensland's rapidly growing construction industry - and its training model proved so successful that it is now applied to other trades. Since 2006, it has trained almost 1200 apprentices from more than 750 active employers who have embraced the company's encouragement to take responsibility for staff training. A successful strategy has been its Comprehensive Assessment Training and Tracking (CATT) system, which divides learning outcomes into self-contained 'chunks of knowledge' to engage students.

Public Training Provider of the Year

Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE
1300 656 959
www.tnqit.tafe.qld.gov.au

Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE delivers quality-assured programs to more than 15 000 domestic, international and commercial clients annually, with almost 200 programs in a range of vocational areas. Covering a training area larger than Victoria means services need to be flexible, remote and online, and its courses are providing lasting legacies through its skilled graduates. A highlight has been an intensive cultural mapping course — using the latest technology to record culturally significant information, while providing training to more than 20 tribes from the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics region.

Skilling for the Future Award

J.J. Richards Engineering Pty Ltd
www.jjrichards.com.au

Students are being introduced to the world of work through J.J. Richards Engineering, which last year began a targeted program to train school-based apprentices and trainees to counter the industry’s lack of skilled tradespeople. In partnership with the Queensland Government, SkillsTech Australia and Mission Australia, the initiative has provided vocational placements for 30 students, and employed a former teacher as a full-time apprentice manager to mentor them. It has even ‘adopted’ five local high schools to build networks, boost communication and improve literacy and numeracy results.

Premier's Innovation in Skilling Award

Transport and Logistics Workforce Advisory Group (TLWAG)
3146 1610
industry.capability@transport.qld.gov.au

An industry-wide approach to addressing skills and labour shortages in Australia’s critical transport and logistics field was thought to be idealistic, impractical and impossible until this advisory group was formed in 2006. Now, 14 members — including representatives from road, rail, sea and air industries — work with training providers, government, peak associations and unions, with the aim of attracting and retaining skilled workers. The successful model has been recognised with state and federal awards, and was recently adopted as a benchmark under the National Transport Policy Framework.

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