Winners and finalists

As a WA Training Awards winner or finalist, you’re an ambassador for vocational education and training in WA.

Your success in your training and through the WA Training Awards will be an inspiration for others to follow a VET pathway.

As a WA Training Awards winner, you may be invited to participate in activities, including but not limited to:

• photo and video shoots promoting your achievements;
• media opportunities (speaking with local press, radio and online journalists);
• panel discussions;
• WA training forums, national and state conferences;
• judging for your category;
• professional development days for award winners; and
• industry/VET sector events.

Should you also win your category at the Australian Training Awards, you’ll be invited to promote the sector on a national scale through a variety of additional activities.

By sharing your experiences, advice and knowledge, you can encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to consider how vocational education and training could benefit them and potentially change their lives. In addition, you may be able to inspire employers and training providers to review their training methods and continue to make improvements. All WA Training Award finalists and winners, both in the individual and organisation categories, have a story worth sharing. You never know who might be listening, how your story can inspire others, and how this could expand their horizons.

Runner-up Australian Trainer of the Year 2021

Sponsored by the Training Accreditation Council WA

Maryke Gray 

• Trains in Conservation and Land Management, Horticulture and Aboriginal Ranger Programs

• Employed by Central Regional TAFE

Maryke is passionate about ensuring students have the same opportunities to receive quality training and assessment, no matter where they live. A trainer in Conservation and Land Management, Horticulture and Aboriginal Ranger Programs at Central Regional TAFE, Maryke delivers the full range of qualifications from Certificate I to Diploma, utilising live work projects, some of which involve working at the Abrolhos islands and remote Aboriginal Communities throughout the Mid-West and Gascoyne.

Maryke uses various methods to connect students from remote locations to live class sessions with students in Geraldton, and recognises that classroom-based training is not for all, delivering the Aboriginal Ranger training programs entirely on country.

With more than 20 years of experience in managing conservation projects, Maryke is committed to education for all to conserve our environment for the future.

Sponsored by StudyPerth

Johanna Faber 

• Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management

• North Metropolitan TAFE

Johanna has always been passionate about travelling, so when she came to Australia from Germany in 2017 and fell in love with the country, she decided she wanted a career in travel and tourism.

By studying in a different country, Johanna felt it would offer her the opportunity of experiencing travel and tourism first-hand, taking part in a different culture and learning a new language while completing her course - a Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management at North Metropolitan TAFE.

Studying allowed Johanna to gain confidence in communicating in English while learning the many facets of the industry, and was able to land a job as a travel consultant. While COVID-19 forced the closure of the office, it hasn’t deterred Johanna from working in the industry.

Sponsored by the Electrical and Communications Association of Western Australia

Agnes Toluwade 

• Certificate IV Mental Health

• North Metropolitan TAFE

Migrating from Nigeria in 2015, the first time Agnes heard about the suicide of a teenager on the news, she was jolted. Determined to take action and contribute to her new home country, Agnes decided to study a Certificate IV in Mental Health, and be part of the solution for a mentally healthy Australia.

The course at North Metropolitan TAFE has helped her understand the many issues that impact on mental health, and the ways to support people’s recovery.

Agnes has crossed several barriers to pursue her study, and hopes that others in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities will see that studying at TAFE offers many opportunities.

Sponsored by Polly Farmer Foundation

Kevin Wilson 

• Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design

• North Metropolitan TAFE

• Nani Creative (co-owner / operator)

Growing up as a Wongai man from the Goldfields region, Kevin has had an interest in art for as long as he can remember. After a few years and a few too many run-ins with police, he decided he couldn’t keep going down that path, so he signed up for an apprenticeship in print finishing at North Metropolitan TAFE, which was just the beginning of his TAFE journey.

After completing his Diploma in Graphic Design, he continued on to the Advanced Diploma, becoming more confident in himself, his work and how he speaks about it.

Kevin says he feels like he has found his calling in life, and since finishing has gone on to co-found Nani Creative, a graphic design company specialising in design for projects promoting Aboriginal tourism.

Runner-up Australian Vocational Student of the Year 2021

Zoe Tucker 

• Certificate IV Landscape Design

• South Metropolitan TAFE

Twenty years after leaving school, Zoe finally feels like she has found her pathway. Finding traditional work roles not conducive to family life, the single mother of three took the plunge towards a new career and followed her passion, studying a Certificate IV in Landscape Design – a perfect fit for a creative person with a love of plants and nature and background in architecture.

Zoe hasn’t looked back, winning South Metropolitan TAFE’s Vocational Student of the Year 2020 and relishing the opportunity to create greener spaces.

Amber Ugle-Hayward 

• Certificate III Government

• Aspire Performance Training

• Public Sector Commission

Wanting to pursue a career that was meaningful, challenging and would make a positive impact on the lives of many Western Australians, Amber applied for the Public Sector Commission’s Aboriginal Traineeship Program, knowing it would give her a ‘foot in the door’ to government. Amber has made the most of her placement with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, gaining practical knowledge while completing a Certificate III in Government through Aspire Performance Training.

Throughout the traineeship, Amber has proactively sought opportunities to further her career and expand networks, establishing a reputation as a highly competent team member who consistently displays leadership, collaboration, respect and integrity.

Amber says the experience has allowed her to develop her confidence and communication skills to raise awareness of Aboriginal culture within the State Government, and directly influence the Department’s internal policies.

Sponsored by Roy Hill

Courtney Short 

• Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

• North Metropolitan TAFE

• Hospitality Group Training

Preparing meals with and for her family has always brought great joy to Courtney, so it seemed a natural fit to pursue her love of cooking at the age of 15, commencing a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.

Successfully juggling her school work at Mercy College with an apprenticeship through North Metropolitan TAFE, Courtney says the knowledge and skills she has already developed by working alongside chefs at Pan Pacific Hotel (through Hospitality Group Training) are essential for working in the industry.

Now aged 17, Courtney is well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a chef and is so pleased she followed a VET pathway.

Sponsored by Apprenticeship Support Australia, powered by CCI WA

Christian Ferrone 

• Diploma in Aeroskills (Mechanical)

• Aviation Australia

• ExecuJet MRO Services

A curiosity for how things work and a love of aeroplanes led Christian to pursue a career as a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. He completed his apprenticeship at ExecuJet MRO Services Australia where the course taught him how to safely maintain gas turbine and propeller-driven fixed-wing aircraft.

Christian completed the Diploma in Aeroskills (Mechanical) with a 95 per cent course average, and was in the first cohort of WA apprentices through the RTO, Aviation Australia. 

Now employed by QantasLink, Christian is a mentor for other apprentices coming through, and knows teamwork is an essential part of the aviation industry.

Sponsored by Apprenticeship Support Australia, powered by CCI WA

Consolidated Group

Consolidated Group is a Civil Earth Works and Plant Hire Services company that has been resourcing the mining, government, transport, and construction sectors since 2013. The company’s focus on training, upskilling and ongoing mentoring of staff has enabled it to reach new goals and extend the bar on what it can achieve.

Continued success and growth has lead the company to partner with a local Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to establish its own training department to skill its entire workforce in-house.

The company is committed to constantly improving the capability of its employees, many of whom are from under-represented groups.

Consolidated Group prefer to develop skills from within, and seek to find people with the right attitude, work ethic, resilience, and personal skills to succeed.

McDonald’s Australia, WA

McDonald’s is one of Australia’s largest employers and trainers across regional and metropolitan areas.

Employing over 100,000 people in Australia, McDonald’s invest over $40 million every year in employee training and development, equating to approximately $8 million in Western Australia. The company views training and development as an investment, not a cost. As an RTO, McDonald’s recognises and rewards employees by offering a range of nationally recognised qualifications at no cost to the students.

McDonald’s currently have over 580 students actively enrolled in a traineeship in Western Australia, with 296 completions in 2020.

Niche Education Group

Niche Education, formally known as the Australasian Academy of Cosmetic Dermal Science (AACDS) was established in 2003 to meet the education and training needs of the cosmetic medical and dermal therapy professions.

The college has developed new and innovative accredited qualifications to address the absence of formal training in the cosmetic medical/aesthetics field and to bridge the gap between traditional beauty services and advanced dermal therapy techniques.

Niche delivers the first and only accredited course in Cosmetic Nursing in the country, a testament to the contribution the organisation has made to innovative training on a national scale.

North Metropolitan TAFE

North Metropolitan TAFE (NM TAFE), one of Western Australia’s largest publicly funded TAFE colleges, has ten (10) campuses across the central, greater north and north eastern metropolitan regions of Perth. The college offers more than 400 training products ranging from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma qualifications, including skill sets and short courses.

NM TAFE focuses on delivering quality training and assessment services to students, industry and community; while streamlining business practices to ensure sustainability.

A focus on accessible, flexible, contemporary, industry relevant training provides students with a variety of learning pathways and skills to secure the jobs of the future.

WA Department of Justice

Congratulations to WA Department of Justice, who have been selected as direct-entry finalists for the 2021 Australian Training Awards Australian Apprenticeships - Employer Award.

The Department of Justice WA is one of the first states to successfully implement traineeships within prisons. In WA, prisoners are employed by the prison and paid in gratuity as well as the provision of room, board, health and training services in lieu of wages. Prisoners are offered a wide range of traineeships and apprenticeships within WA prisons, in areas such as kitchens, textiles, laundry, gardens, cleaning and maintenance.

The Australian Apprenticeships - Employer Award recognises those employers who have made innovative improvements in training which provide beneficial outcomes for their apprentices and/or trainees in Australia and to their local community.