Trade Teacher Awards and new initiatives

Hi everyone,

It's been a busy and exciting time here at SkillsOne. At the end of last week, the government unveiled an innovative, new training program for Australia's upcoming and elite athletes to prepare for a 'Life After Sport' - this is a great initiative providing a flexible approach for sportsmen and women to gain a trade apprenticeship and a rewarding career beyond sport. The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence has also announced the finalists of the 2007 Trade Teacher of the Year Awards.

The awards are in their inaugural year and recognise excellence in training and teaching across the eight industry groups of focus of the Institute for Trade Skills for Excellence, covering the: Automotive; Building & Construction; Electrical; Hospitality and Personal Services; Manufacturing; Metals and Engineering; Mineral Resources and Rural and Farming.

Across the eight industry groups 18 inspirational trade teachers were put forward by the Industry Reference Groups for the final judging round. The eight Trade Teacher of the Year winners were then announced at an awards dinner held in Sydney.

These eight winners are now all in the running for the 2007 National Trade Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced in Hobart at the Australian Training Awards on the 8th of November.

Congratulations to the eight finalists from each of our industry reference groups!

Trade Industry

Industry Trade Teacher
of the Year

Registered Training Organisation

Automotive

Livio Tomas

Kangan Batman TAFE

Building & construction

George Dragovic

TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute

Electrical

Steve Waye

TAFE NSW Hunter Institute (Belmont Campus)

Hospitality

Marion Fitzpatrick

TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute

Manufacturing

Nicholas Viney

Kangan Batman TAFE

Metals & Engineering

Wayne Tierney

SkillsTech Australia

Mineral Resources

Lesley Wemyss

Crestfern Pty Ltd

Rural

Graeme Harris

Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Tamworth

Meanwhile, SkillsOneTM has launched its Schools Competition - where High School and TAFE students have the chance to win an iPod Shuffle for themselves and an iMac computer for their school just by answering a few simple questions. Find out more here and enter today.

Best Regards,

Brian Wexham
Chief Executive Officer

The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence