Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

Finalists for Apprentice of the Year awards

The Minister for Tertiary Education and Training, Phil Honeywood, has announced the finalists for the Victorian Training Awards.

15 TAFE students and 18 employers and training organisations have made the final cut. Winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Melbourne Park on September 17.

All four finalists in the Apprentice of the Year category, an area traditionally dominated by males, are women. They are:

• Emma Pilven, 23, of Benalla (Hairdressing, Victoria University of Technology).
• Cindy Leask, 35, of Moorabbin (Printing Machining, RMIT Printing).
• Lian-Fei Campbell, 23, of Mentone (Aircraft Maintenance: Helicopters, Parafield TAFE).
• Corinna Jones, 22, of Chirnside Park (Dry Cleaning, RMIT Textiles).

The other categories in the Awards are: Trainee of the Year; Vocational Student of the Year; Koorie Student of the Year; Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools Excellence Award; Employer of the Year (Open); Employer of the Year (Small Business); Employer of the Year (Public Enterprise); Innovative Training Product; Training Provider of the Year.

The student winners of each Award will receive a $10,000 travelling fellowship and a Qantas air ticket to further their skills training overseas in 2000.

The 1999 Victorian Training Awards finalists are:

Outstanding Student of the Year: Trainee

Paul Latimer, Horsham, Retail Operations, University of Ballarat (TAFE)
Tania Marson, Warragul, Property Services(Real Estate), Real Estate Institute of Victoria
Adam Renkauskas, Ocean Grove, Sport & Recreation, Gordon TAFE
Serene Taffaha, Blackburn South, Office Administration, Inner Eastern Group Training.

Outstanding Student of the Year: Vocational (Category sponsored by the Herald-Sun)

Dale Annells, East Kew, Hospitality, Northern Melbourne TAFE
James Lye, Brunswick, Small Business Management, Kangan Batman TAFE
Jason Underwood, Numurkah, Mechanical Engineering, Victoria University of Technology

Outstanding Student of the Year: Koorie

Elliott Maynard, Thornbury, Small Companies and Community Theatre, Swinburne University
Peter Rosas, Thornbury, Small Companies & Community Theatre, Swinburne University
Kay Van Bockel, Seville, Koorie Art & Design, Swinburne University
Louise Wackett, Warrnambool, Cookery, South West TAFE

Outstanding Student of the Year: Apprentice

Lian-Fei Campbell, Mentone, Aircraft Maintenance (Helicopters), Parafield TAFE
Corinna Jones, Chirnside Park, Dry Cleaning, RMIT Textiles
Cindy Leask, Moorabbin, Printing Machining, RMIT Printing
Emma Pilven, Benalla, Hairdressing, Victoria University of Technology

VET in Schools Excellence Award

Moorabbin Oakleigh Springvale Development Group/Chisholm TAFE
Workplace Learning Melbourne West, Newport/VUT
Whittlesea Secondary College/Kangan Batman TAFE

Employer of the Year: Open

Allied Pickfords Pty Ltd, Braeside
Bostik (Aust) Pty Ltd, Thomastown
Yallourn Energy Pty Ltd, Moe

Employer of the Year: Small Business

Dry Pac, Warragul
Kyabram Community and Learning Centre, Kyabram
Nicholas Dattner and Co., Fitzroy

Employer of the Year: Public Enterprise

Aged and Disability Support Services: Manningham City Council, East Doncaster
Kerang and District Hospital, Kerang
Operations Training Centre, Public Transport Corporation, North Melbourne

Innovative Training Product

"Webtrain", Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
"Disability Awareness Training Package", CentreLink and ParaQuad
"Leadership Development Program", United Customer Management Solutions

Training Provider of the Year

Hotel Sofitel Melbourne, Culinary Academy
Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE
William Angliss Institute of TAFE

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Tertiary Education and Training, August 12, 1999)