WA Apprentice of the Year 2020

Bethany Clarke (Mount Pleasant)

Bethany entered her apprenticeship through the National Energy Technician Training Scheme, the first of its kind in Australia and the outcome of a collaboration involving multiple oil and gas companies.

She achieved her Certificate III in Process Plant Operations through apprenticeship arrangements with Programmed and South Metropolitan TAFE.  

Bethany believes that being a female in a male-dominated industry has pushed her to become a more confident version of herself. She is passionate about advocating for bringing more women into the industry.

Her goal is to inspire other bright, young women who might not have thought about process plant operations as a potential career path, to consider this option and pursue the training opportunities that are available.

WA Trainee of the Year 2020

Cheyne Pearce (Ardross)

Cheyne chose to study a Certificate IV in Horticulture at North Metropolitan TAFE in order to fulfil his passion to make a positive difference to our environment. His hard work and resolve eventually paid off with the offer of a dream job as a trainee at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens.

Cheyne started his career as an air conditioning and refrigeration technician, but found increasingly that he wanted to pursue his passion for the environment. This passion was the catalyst for a career change.

Through hard work and determination, he successfully completed a Certificate II in Horticulture and Conservation Land Management. He then went on to study the Certificate IV and with it, landed a position as a trainee at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens.

Cheyne says working at King’s Park was like ‘living the horticultural dream - with access to some of the brightest and best minds in the field.’

WA Vocational Student of the Year 2020

Trent Caldwell (Ballajura)

With a background in community services, advertising and art, Trent wanted to blend the skills learnt from these industries and embark on a journey to land his long-held ambition of a role in marketing. 

After successfully completing a Diploma of Marketing and Communication at North Metropolitan TAFE, Trent has landed his dream role as a Social Media Manager. He manages the website, social media accounts and paid advertising campaigns for Near Me Real Estate.

Following a near-fatal accident which left him in a coma, Trent has various learning hindrances. Although he struggled with financial and health problems during his studies, with the assistance from his lecturers, he completed the Diploma with flying colours. After his successful past 18 months, Trent advocates one simple message - study with TAFE!

WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year 2020

Colleen Little (Wanneroo)

Colleen is a proud Whadjuk Noongar woman. She loves her culture, her family and her history. She is delighted to be Aboriginal and have connections with land. Being part of a culture that faces various difficulties and challenges, she knows the struggles Aboriginal people are faced with and can relate to them from her own life experiences. Her goal is to lead, influence and inform a younger generation of Indigenous people to strive for a stronger, healthy life. She wants to break the barriers by creating supportive systems and leadership for many generations coming through.

Colleen loves cars and has always been interested in the automotive field, so when the opportunity arose to complete a traineeship through AMA Training Services at Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA), she leapt at the chance. Coming from a large Indigenous family, her traineeship allowed her to balance work and study responsibilities, with her family commitments.

The Certificate III in Business allowed her to gain both on-the-job administrative experience, and knowledge of the automotive industry. She is now employed full time with MTA WA and her role allows her to help the next generation of tradespeople to commence their own careers.

WA School-based Apprentice of the Year 2020

Joel Pearson (Geraldton)

The arts industry is something which Joel has always been deeply passionate about, so after years of circus, dance and volunteering at events, he started up his own circus entertainment company.

A year of work placement encouraged Joel to further his training through a Certificate III in Arts Administration at North Regional TAFE, which resulted in being selected to complete a Tour Coordinator Mentorship with regional arts industry leader, CircuitWest.

Joel says that being able to do a school-based traineeship has been a great opportunity to get real-world experience which complements his certificate, as well as to network and make connections with relevant people in the industry before leaving school.

A highlight of Joel’s career so far was his first solo project in late 2019, working with the City of Greater Geraldton to provide a performance project titled Geraldton's Worst Artist at the local event, Christmas on the Terrace, which was attended by thousands.

Bethany Clarke (Mount Pleasant)
Bethany entered her apprenticeship through the National Energy Technician Training Scheme, the first of its kind in Australia and the outcome of an amazing collaboration involving multiple different oil and gas companies. She achieved her Certificate III in Process Plant Operations through apprenticeship arrangements with Programmed and South Metropolitan TAFE. Bethany believes that being a female in a male-dominated industry pushed her to become a more confident version of herself, and is passionate about advocating for more women in the industry.

David Millington (Yangebup)
As he approached his thirties, David found himself having gained a variety of experience at multiple workplaces yet lacking any formal qualifications. He set his sights on qualifying as an electrician but found an apprenticeship was not easy to come by. After two years of interviews, he finally landed a mature-age apprenticeship with Austal and qualified four years later as an electrician, completing his Certificate III in Electrotechnology through South Metropolitan TAFE. He went on to win his employer’s Apprentice of the Year Award as well and his message to others is the importance of goal setting and resilience in the face of adversity.

Audrey Wong (Perth)
A decision to change careers in 2015 led to Audrey relocating to WA to complete a self-funded Certificate II in Process Plant Operations at the Australian Centre for Energy Process Training (ACEPT) through South Metropolitan TAFE. As a volunteer firefighter, Audrey has always been happier with a hands-on approach, and after meeting a female production technician who inspired her, she gave up her studies in architecture and made the leap to a new career pathway. Audrey thinks one of the most valuable things she has learned is how a team can work together and achieve success.

Cheyne Pearce (Ardross)
Cheyne chose to study a Certificate IV in Horticulture at North Metropolitan TAFE in order to fulfil his passion to make a positive difference to our environment. His hard work and resolve eventually paid off with the offer of a dream job as a trainee at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens. Cheyne loves the variety in the work – from liaising with clients, designing gardens, and calculating costings, to report writing and computer skills. He has found that as his training has progressed, so too has his appetite for knowledge and experience.

Trent Caldwell (Ballajura)
With a background in community services, advertising, and art, Trent wanted to blend the skills learnt from these industries and embark on a journey to land his dream role in marketing. After successfully completing a Diploma of Marketing and Communication at North Metropolitan TAFE, Trent has landed his dream role as a Social Media Manager. He manages the website, social media accounts and paid advertising campaigns for Near Me Real Estate. After his successful past 18 months, Trent advocates one simple message - study with TAFE!

Chantelle Un (Kununurra)
Chantelle knows just how far she has come on her training journey. Coming from a background where school or learning was not encouraged, opting out of education seemed like the only option. After leaving school in year 9, she doubted her ability to study and almost gave it all up on her first day at North Regional TAFE. Her intrinsic motivation to be a good role model for her children, and have a job where she could help others, pushed her to complete a Certificate III in Community Services and to achieve her goal of bettering her community.

Philemon Pearson (South Hedland)
Philemon is from Poruma (Coconut) Island in the Torres Strait. He moved to Australia with his partner and children with the goal of securing a trade. He started an apprenticeship as a boilermaker a year after leaving secondary school, but was also playing professional rugby at the same time. He was told by his coach to make his apprenticeship his number one priority but did not listen and dropped out of his apprenticeship with one year left to go. Nine years later, he finally took his coach’s advice and enrolled at North Regional TAFE to complete a Certificate II in Engineering, whilst undertaking a traineeship at BHP as a Trainee Mechanical Fitter.

Colleen Little (Wanneroo)
Colleen loves cars and has always been interested in the automotive field, so when the opportunity arose to complete a traineeship through AMA Training Services at Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA), she leapt at the chance. Coming from a large indigenous family, her traineeship allowed her to balance work and study responsibilities, with her family commitments. The Certificate III in Business allowed her to gain both on-the-job administrative experience, and knowledge of the automotive industry. She is now employed full time with MTA WA and her role allows her to help the next generation of tradespeople to commence their own careers.

Jesse Booker (Mukinbudin)
Jesse chose work experience in the building and construction industry on the recommendation of his principal, who recognised he would benefit from practical work experience alongside his formal school studies. During his Certificate II in Construction Pathways at Central Regional TAFE, Jesse very quickly discovered that he enjoyed the work, and took pride in being able to finish a job for a client and reflect on what he had accomplished. Jesse hopes to inspire other students who may struggle with certain areas in school, to become a school-based trainee.

Piper Sweet (Dianella)
Piper was really unsure about what she wanted to do after school and applied for a school-based traineeship in the public sector. She hoped it would get her a foot in the door to somewhere that offered a range of career options. A Certificate II in Government Administration also felt more suited to her decision to take an ATAR pathway in Year 11 and 12. Apart from her on the job success, Piper was proud to be asked to present to the next year's group of trainees at their orientation, and achieved her personal goal of being able to publicly speak. Combined with her politics and law, and Italian studies at school, she now has a clearer idea of what she would like to do with her career, and hopes it will be in government or politics.

Anthony Di Cristofaro

Certificate III in Carpentry and Joinery

Trained at North Metropolitan TAFE

Employed by Directions Workforce Solutions

Prior to starting a mature age apprenticeship, Anthony worked in the mining industry for 10 years. Committed to learning and excelling in his trade, he exhibits genuine care for his co-workers safety and mental health, mentoring younger apprentices and completing the Mates in Construction Connector course. Anthony believes in the importance of training to produce quality skilled workers that are resilient and confident in their abilities.

Rekeisha Voss

Certificate III in Government

Trained at Aspire Performance Training

Employed by Department of Training and Workforce Development

Rekeisha started her career in beauty therapy and hospitality, however felt the need to try something new and applied for a traineeship. Working as a trainee service desk officer has taught her many things about the behind the scenes world of ICT. With a passion for learning new skills, Rekeisha wants to break negative perceptions and shine a spotlight on positive work outcomes for Indigenous people.

Elena Smirnova

Certificate IV in EAL (Further Study)

Trained at South Metropolitan TAFE

Books and libraries provide a constant source of inspiration for Elena. She loves reading and literature but also the community that libraries create. It was this inspiration that motivated her to study English after arriving in WA. Her goal is to become ‘a warrior of the light’ - a Russian expression to describe someone who is educated and, through further training, fulfil her career in library services.

Dushica Poposki

Diploma of Nursing

Trained at North Metropolitan TAFE

Employed as a nurse in Macedonia, a chance experience as an outpatient while visiting Perth inspired Dushica to relocate and train in WA. Starting in aged care, she continually challenged herself and trained to work with patients with acquired brain injury. A job promotion gave her the final push to train as an enrolled nurse where she enjoys providing the best nursing care to the community.

Matthew King

Trains in Electrotechnology

Employed by Swan Trade Training Centre

Prior to becoming a trainer, Matthew was an electrician and still runs his own business. With a passion for working with young people, he believes through great teaching you can shape the next generation. As a mentor he provides inspirational learning experiences whilst remaining relevant to industry. Matthew was responsible for establishing the only school-based pre-apprenticeship electrical course, run by in-house staff in WA.

Matt was also runner up in the 2019 VET Teacher/Trainer award category at the Austrlalian Training Awards.

Eden Corporation Pty Ltd T/As McDonald's Karratha

Since opening its doors in September 1997, McDonald’s Karratha struggled with crew retention and filling managerial positions as employees moved to higher paid positions in the mining sector. In 2016 it decided to bring back WA Apprenticeships with just 2 Apprentices. Since then, 41 employees have passed through the system. The operation now has 80 staff and a remarkably low staff turnover rate.

Barminco

Barminco is one of the world’s largest hard-rock underground mining services providers employing 3,500 employees world-wide. Founded in 1989, the WA based company has 30 years’ experience in delivering hard-rock underground mining services both domestically and internationally. Its Barminco Leaders Program (BLP) has 102 employees enrolled, of which 24 have graduated with a BSB42015 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.

Barminco also won the 2019 Large Employer of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.

The Electrical Industry Female Participation Program (EIFPP)

EIFPP, led by the College of Electrical Training, partners with secondary schools, NECA WA and local employers to improve course accessibility and reduce barriers for female school students obtaining an apprenticeship. The program provides a structured career pathway into the electrical industry, promotes the electrical industry as ‘gender neutral’ and delivers a training experience aimed at giving students the best possible chance of employment.

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services

Since 1983, KAMS has been committed to providing high quality VET training in the Kimberley region. Established to offer a local study option for Aboriginal Health Work without having to relocate to Perth, courses offer flexibility and practical, supervised experience for Aboriginal Health Care Workers providing services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

North Regional TAFE

North Regional TAFE is the largest provider of training and vocational services in the north of WA, servicing industries and communities across the region. With a total of 11 campuses and the College’s three largest delivery centres at Broome, Karratha and Pundulmurra in South Hedland, in 2018, it delivered more than 190 nationally recognised and industry-endorsed qualifications to over 7,300 students.

• Anthony Di Cristofaro
• Mark Halden
• Ben Lovering
• Jesse Maiorana

(Pictured left to right)

• Tahleisha Bennell-Mustica
• Benita Brown
• Rekeisha Voss
• Jodie Wyatt

(Pictured left to right)

• Dion Emin
• Tiffany Heelan
• Eleesha Spargo

(Pictured left to right)

• Sally Farr
• Rebecca Lee Hudson
• Alexandra Mell
• Kaitlyn Frances O’Connell

WA Vocational Student of the Year 2019

• Chloe Baigent
• Angela Hill
• Kim Logue
• Lauren Shields

(Pictured left to right)

• Jiamin Li
• Bronwyn McKane
• Bukonla Abolanle Olayeni
• Elena Smirnova

(Pictured left to right)

• Vitor Cerqueira Marques
• Martin Gillies
• Dushica Poposki
• Paula Ximena Roa Ayala

(Pictured left to right)

• Matthew King
• Nathan McMurdo
• Vicki Thompson
• Sharyn Trent

• The Electrical Industry Female Participation Program

• National Energy Technicians Training Scheme

• Eden Corporation Pty Ltd T/As McDonald`s Karratha
• Ranger Exploration Drilling

• AFGRI Equipment Australia
• Barminco

• Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services
• Marr Mooditj Training
• Royal Life Saving WA

• North Regional TAFE
• South Metropolitan TAFE
• Central Regional TAFE