2016 winners

Rachel Jackson

Certificate III in Business
Certificate III in Government
Trained by TAFE SA
Employed by DECD, Families SA

Rachel is a young Aboriginal woman who was placed under the guardianship of the Minister when she was 12 years of age. She was placed in a number of foster homes before living alone independently 16 years of age. She successfully gained a traineeship through Jobs for Youth, working in Families SA, undertaking administrative work in child protection. Rachel believes in the principles of persistence and resilience. She wants to be a positive role model for others to believe in themselves and to reach their full potential. Rachel believes her traineeship program is helping her succeed in these aspirations.

Jack Donaldson

Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade
Trained by TAFE SA
Employed by ASC

Jack is very proud of what he has been able to achieve as an apprentice. He isaware that this is just the start of his career and believes an apprenticeship is the best foundation to build on no matter how high your career goals. Jack says the experiences on the job allow people to have a far greater understanding of the complexities and hand skills required of the tradesperson. He has aspirations to go into management and will continue to strive for this by completing an Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Management before going to university in the future.

Leuwin Andrew

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
Attends Blackwood High School
Trained by TAFE SA
Employed by Windy Point Restaurant and Cafe

Leuwin Andrew began his career as a professional chef at Windy Point Restaurant & Cafe midway through 2015. Currently he is studying at Blackwood High School and TAFE SA Regency Campus. Leuwin’s life has revolved around the hospitality industry since he was a child and he has worked hard to be where he is today. Leuwin was inspired by his mother’s passion for cooking and food. He dreams to one day be a successful chef and own a restaurant or boutique cafe. His current aim is to work hard and make Windy Point proud to have taken him.

Josiah Clayton

Certificate IV in Retail Management
Trained by Master Grocers Australia
Employed by B&J Elson (Mount Barker IGA Fresh)

Josiah is employed at Mount Barker IGA, and he has completed Certificate II in Retail (Quality Training and Hospitality College) and a Certificate IV in Retail Management (Master Grocers Association). Josiah has created achievements by setting goals, working hard and persevering. He was inspired by his first manager to make this his career. Josiah hopes to one day to start his own business that helps out troubled teenage boys growing up without fathers. Some of his achievements include: winning the 2015 Achiever of the Year S.A, an award given for high excellence in his area of work. In April 2016 the department he manages won Best Fresh Produce for SA.

Stephen Dawson

Certificate III in Fitness
Trained by Sports SA
Studying Bachelor of Business Sport Management (Deakin University)

Stephen is currently studying a Bachelor of Business Sport Management at Deakin University in Melbourne, and is undertaking this study online. He believes he got to this point with the unconditional help and assistance from the VET department at Sacred Heart College. They gave him the opportunity to pursue study in a course that interests him, which confirmed that he wanted to pursue a career in the sport/fitness industry. Stephen’s dream is to get into the high end of sport management in a tier 1 sporting organisation, and alongside this, start up his own personal training business.

Jenni Edsall

Employed by TAFE SA

Jenni is currently a senior lecturer with responsibility for leading the Applied Science team of the Veterinary and Applied Science Centre of TAFE SA. She spent nine years in research at the University of Melbourne and then decided that she wanted to share her interest in science through education. After five years of secondary teaching, Jenni joined TAFE in 1996. Throughout her 20 years in the VET sector Jenni has constantly been inspired by the hard work and dedication of the students, many of whom face significant challenges in achieving their goal of a science career.

Medium Employer of the Year Award

South Australian State Emergency Service

The South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES) is a community-based volunteer organisation established to provide an emergency response service across the State. Its mission is to minimise loss of life, injuries and damage from emergencies and natural disasters. SASES’ hard working staff and volunteers regularly support communities by responding to floods and storms; assisting other emergency services agencies in dealing with any emergency; undertaking general rescue activities including road crash, vertical rescue, land search, swift-water rescue, marine search and rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse and animal rescue; and providing community education.

Large Employer of the Year Award

Kentucky Fried Chicken Pty Ltd (KFC)

Kentucky Fried Chicken Pty Ltd (KFC Australia) is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In Australia, KFC serves more than 2 million customers every week, making it one of the largest restaurant systems in the country. Its business has grown to include more than 60 franchisees, 600 restaurants and about 30,000 employees. In South Australia KFC has 43 restaurants and more than 1900 employees. KFC is passionate about the training and development of its employees and offer nationally recognised training to those who want to complete a traineeship in retail.

Small Training Provider of the Year Award

Adelaide Training & Employment Centre Incorporated

Adelaide Training & Employment Centre (ATEC), is a bipartite incorporated, not-for-profit organisation with a board of management comprising representatives from industry and unions. ATEC services encompass the education, training and employment sectors through its registered training organisation (RTO), group training organisation, recruitment solutions and community services training. ATEC has been successfully operating as an RTO since 1989 and is located at Ottoway, Port Adelaide and Lonsdale. Through a flexible partnership model with industry, ATEC offers a mobile workforce delivering training, apprenticeship and recruitment services across metropolitan and regional South Australia and selected locations in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Large Training Provider of the Year Award

TAFE SA

TAFE SA is South Australia's largest provider of vocational education and training. TAFE SA works with industry and business to develop and deliver high-quality education and training that is tailored to industry needs and helps students achieve personal and professional learning objectives. TAFE SA is proud of its role in helping people find jobs and develop career paths - and ultimately in contributing to a skilled workforce that can respond to economic priorities and support thriving communities across South Australia.

Industry Collaboration Award

OZ Minerals, TAFE SA and THIESS

OZ Minerals, TAFE SA and THIESS have together developed a training qualification that ensures mine workers have nationally recognised credentials to offer future employers. Initially developed to meet the partners’ training needs at OZ Minerals’ mine at Prominent Hill in South Australia, the Partnerships, People and Production: Industry Focused Accredited Training project can now be replicated across Australia, with lasting economic, social and environmental benefits for the mining sector, mining developers, and most importantly the employees and the communities in which they live and work.

School Pathways to VET Award

Northern Adelaide State Secondary Schools’ Alliance (NASSSA) - 2016 Australian Training Awards Winner

Northern Adelaide State Secondary Schools' Alliance (NASSSA), a confederation of 11 schools,  provides improved opportunities, career pathways, retention and educational outcomes for students in northern Adelaide.  NASSSA focusses on developing teacher-trainer skills in designing and delivering high quality VET courses to students. As a key link between schools, community, university, RTOs and industry partners across northern Adelaide, the Alliance identifies and supports educational innovation that assists students’ transition successfully from school to employment, training and further education.