Training Awards – 2008/2009

President Pauline, members and guests of the Club, it gives me great pleasure to chair today’s meeting.  It’s a meeting that recognises educational achievements of three fine young Victorians and reinforces the Rotary Club of Melbourne’s commitment and support, through the years, to all forms of post compulsory education and training.

Originally, our Club’s support was centred on the traditional apprenticeship programme but in line with current training opportunities we have now widened our scope to include all forms of vocational training. 

This support, at a time when commentators keep reminding us that we are facing a chronic skills shortage, is both timely and pertinent.

This afternoon we will recognise three awardees, all of whom were finalists in the recent Victorian Training Awards for 2008, and we congratulate them for that - we have, however, independently selected today’s awardees against criteria set by the Vocational Services Committee.  Our awardees will receive today, a certificate of achievement and a cheque for $1,000.

We will invite our recipients to talk to the Club of their experiences and aspirations and, I hope, we have time for questions because I think we have a lot to learn from these young people.

Our first awardee today is Brendan Edwards.  Brendan is a fourth year apprentice with Powercor Australia in Ballarat studying Certificate III in powerline distribution at Gippsland TAFE.  Brendan previously completed an apprenticeship in motor mechanics and has received awards in excellence from Powercor and Gipps TAFE in 2005 and 2006.  He performs a leadership role and freely assists other apprentices less experienced than himself.  Brendan is active in regional sports and community needs fund raising

Our second awardee is Christina Laity.  Last year Christina completed her Diploma of Building Design and Technology at Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE and is now studying for the Advanced Diploma of Building Design.

Christina works for Invisage Design Group, in Ballarat.

Christina has won awards for excellence from Building Designers Association of Victoria and was the BRIT Student Of The Year in 2007.  A Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Medallist, Christina overcomes the tyranny of distance to work and further her studies.  She has a keen social awareness and enjoys recreational pursuits of sport and music.

Our third recipient today is Jason Smith.  Jason is currently studying for his Certificate IV in Agriculture at Gouldburn TAFE.  Jason is working as an assistant farm manager at Gunbower.  Jason has won numerous previous awards not least of which are: Gold Level Duke of Edinburgh Award, Campaspe Young Citizen of the Year, United Dairy Farmers of Victoria Apprentice of the Year and twice the Lion Youth of the Year Award.  In his farming role Jason is experiencing increasing sole responsibility opportunities for the management of the farm and its staff.  As a Regional A & P Society member, sports representative and member of La Trobe Charity Group, Jason is also an energetic community contributor.

We have chosen Jason as the winner of the Frank Newman Training Award.  As members would know Frank Newman has served Rotary with distinction and has maintained a keen interest in apprenticeships and all forms of vocational training.  As a mark of the high regard in which Frank is held by this Club we have named one of these awards in his honour.  I now invite Frank to present this award.

That concludes our Training Awards Day for this year.  We have met and heard from three outstanding young Victorians and have been provided with an insight into the breadth of the training systems as they operate today. 

On your behalf I would like to thank our awardees and wish them well for their future careers.

President Pauline presents award to Brendan Edwards

President Pauline presents award to Christina Laity

PP Frank Newman presents award to Jason Smith

Awardees answer members questions in the company of Rotarian Grant Steel