HVTC News Winter 2016 - Hunter Valley Training Company

HVTC NEWS
Winter 2016
2016 HVTC EXCELLENCE AWARDS
SHOWCASING OUR BEST
NSW Minister for Regional
Development, Skills and
Small Business, John
Barilaro, was special guest
at HVTC’s Excellence Awards
presentation in Newcastle on
Friday 15 April 2016.
“The HVTC Excellence Awards are
a great opportunity to recognise the
outstanding efforts of the company’s
apprentices and trainees, and on behalf
of the NSW Government I congratulate
all the award winners on their
achievements,” Mr Barilaro said.
HVTC CEO Sharon Smith said
vocational education pathways can lead
to career success for many
young people.
“These awards not only celebrate
the great results of our apprentices
and trainees but they also reflect
the significant role our business and
industry partners play in making sure
our young people secure quality
employment outcomes,” Sharon said.
Sharon also thanked the judging
panel, Byron Dodd (Training Services
NSW), Jason Foster (VERTO) and
Jason Sultana (GTA NSW & ACT)
who selected the winners from
nominations put forward from
HVTC’s ten regional offices.
“Our judges’ expertise and
understanding of our business,
and our goals and objectives for
our apprentices, trainees and host
businesses, has been reflected in the
outstanding calibre of this year’s
Award recipients.”
“I would also like to thank our
generous Award sponsors - Hunter
TAFE, SafetyQuip, Sharp Electronics
Group, Centennial Coal, Church Air
Conditioning, PKF, The Mutual, VERTO,
Klosters and JobReady - for their
support of the 2016 HVTC Excellence
Awards,” said Sharon.
Please turn to pages three and four for
a full list of Award winners and more
pictures from the event.
Photo: (L-R) HVTC Deputy Chairman
Richard Owens AM, Director Phil Cox,
CEO Sharon Smith, The Hon John
Barilaro MP, HVTC Chairman Bob
Cameron AO and Executive Director
Kay Sharp AM.
INSIDE STORIES
•Excellence Award winners
•Employee of the Year
•Nathan pays it forward
•An original Alumnus
•Young women make their mark
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
There is much to celebrate at HVTC as
we approach our 35th anniversary of
providing service to regional industry
and its apprentices and trainees.
Our company was incorporated on 18
June 1981 in the Hunter Valley and
four days later our first employee, now
Executive Director, Kay Sharp AM
started work with a desk, a phone and
197 apprentices.
We must pay tribute to Mrs Sharp as
well as Founding Chairman, now Patron
of HVTC, The Hon Milton Morris AO
who still work tirelessly for the company
in an effort to make a difference to
people’s lives and to industry.
For any organisation to still be
performing strongly after 35 years in
business it has to be doing a number of
things right. At HVTC we’ve been doing
just that. Getting it right for thousands
of workers across the state by providing
innovative, relevant training and
employment opportunities that
meet the changing needs of
business and industry.
From a small office in Maitland, we
have grown substantially and now have
offices in the Northern Rivers, North
Coast, North West, Mid Coast, Hunter,
Sydney, Illawarra, Shoalhaven and
Southern Tablelands.
Always cognisant of the changing
nature of the labour market, our
business continues to evolve in
response to the needs of new industries
and the impact new technologies have
on the workforce.
We are committed to equal employment
and will continue to explore employment
opportunities for young and mature
age individuals, Indigenous people
and those with a disability. We will
also continue to pursue our goal to be
a leading skills provider and will build
on the strength and wisdom garnered
during 35 years of continuous service to
the sector.
HVTC has an exceptional team
whose energy, expertise and passion
is channelled into supporting our
apprentices, trainees and host
employers. We maintain strong
relationships with government, industry,
unions, the public service and the
community, all of whom share our
enthusiasm for a vibrant, skilled and
cohesive workforce.
Bob Cameron AO, HVTC Chairman
Most importantly, we will continue to
foster the supportive and respectful
culture that Mr Morris instilled in our
organisation 35 years ago and
deliver on our mission to connect
people’s potential with the opportunity
to access skills training and
rewarding employment.
Bob Cameron AO, Chairman
CEO’S MESSAGE
As HVTC celebrates its 35th
anniversary, I am very proud, as are
our dedicated staff, of the tremendous
contribution HVTC has made to
vocational education and training in
New South Wales over the years.
From humble beginnings and an original
business plan that only intended for
the organisation to operate for five
years, our scope and capability has
expanded significantly. Today, HVTC
is Australia's oldest Group Training
Organisation (GTO) and we are proud
to have provided employment and
training opportunities to more than
20,000 people throughout our 35 years
of operation.
We employ our apprentices and
trainees directly to free up our host
businesses to get on with providing
meaningful and productive work
experience. In doing so we have
developed lasting partnerships with a
diverse range of businesses.
As employers, we have a vested
interest in matching apprentices and
trainees to the right job, training and
host employer. It’s that focus and
personalised approach which set us
02 skills change lives
apart and contributes to completion
rates of around 85%, well above the
industry average of 50%.
HVTC works to ensure businesses have
highly skilled people for their ongoing
success and to enable the region’s
industries to be strong. I am excited to
be leading the team during a time when
the vocational education and training
sector is experiencing much change
and development. We are building on
the successes of the past 35 years,
further modernising our systems and
looking at new opportunities for
future growth in our business offering
to clients.
The outstanding performances of
our apprentices, trainees and host
employers were recognised at the 2016
HVTC Excellence Awards presentation
evening in Newcastle on 15 April.
We greatly appreciated special guest,
John Barilaro, NSW Minister for
Regional Development, Skills and Small
Business, taking time out of his busy
schedule to attend and speak at our
event. It was also wonderful to host the
families and partners of our apprentices
and trainees and to share in their pride
Sharon Smith, HVTC CEO
at the success of our winners.
I look forward to sharing more HVTC
highlights with you in this edition of
HVTC News.
Sharon Smith, CEO
2016 HVTC Excellence Award winners
Apprentice and Trainee Awards
Host Employer Awards
Apprentice of
the Year
PHILLIP HYDE
Certificate III in
Engineering Mechanical Trade
Hosted by
Centennial Coal
Mandalong
Small Host
Employer of the
Year
NOVOCASTRIAN
ELECTRICAL
Heatherbrae
Trainee of the
Year
ELISSA
BURGIN
Certificate II in
Water Operations
Hosted by
Kempsey Shire
Council
Large Host
Employer of the
Year
WHITEHAVEN
COAL
Gunnedah
School-based
Trainee of the
Year
BLAKE KELLY
Certificate II in
Conservation
& Land
Management
Hosted by
Shoalhaven City
Council
Overall Host
Employer of the
Year
BALE
ENGINEERING
Port Macquarie
Indigenous
Trainee of the
Year
SAMANTHA
D’ELBOUX
Certificate II
Water Operations
Hosted by
Shoalhaven City
Council
Host Innovation
Award
KJ INDUSTRIAL
SCAFFOLDING
Port Kembla
Woman in Nontraditional Trade
Apprentice of
the Year
KIRSTEN EDEN
Certificate III
in Production
Nursery
Hosted by
Sutherland Shire
Council
Host Safety
Award
WHITEHAVEN
COAL
Gunnedah
Congratulations to all our worthy Award winners!
03
Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Awards
RTO Student of
the Year
ANTHONY
MUDD
Certificate III in
Electrotechnology
- Electrician
Employed by
Glencore
RTO
Encouragement
Award
SAMUEL
DAVIES
Certificate III in
Electrotechnology
- Electrician
Employed by
Origin Energy
RTO Rising Star
Award
SHELBY
MEDHURST
Certificate III
in Mobile Plant
Technology
Employed by
Glencore
HVTC Employee of the Year
KELLIE MARKS - HVTC Hunter Field Officer
HVTC is fortunate to have some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated staff in
the industry.
HVTC Hunter Field Officer Kellie Marks is one of them and her outstanding
work supporting the goals and ambitions of our apprentices and trainees was
recognised when she was named 2016 HVTC Employee of the Year.
NSW Minister for Regional Development, Skills and Small Business, John
Barilaro, presented Kellie with her accolade at the Awards event.
Kellie joined HVTC in May 2012. Originally employed as an Administration Officer
in HVTC’s Registered Training Organisation before taking on the role of Field
Officer with Group Training operations in September that year, Kellie consistently
demonstrates HVTC values and provides excellence in customer service. She
regularly takes on additional responsibilities to assist her co-workers and improve
HVTC client relationships and is a valued member of our team.
Nathan pays it forward
The generosity of former HVTC warehousing trainee, Nathan Anderson, is helping
another young Indigenous trainee to pursue his career.
When Nathan was named 2015 HVTC Indigenous Trainee of the Year it capped off an
exciting couple of years for the Centennial Coal employee.
In 2014, Nathan was a finalist for the Indigenous Trainee of the Year Award at the
National Group Training Awards having won the state finals. He was also named Young
Achiever of the Year in the Australian Mining Prospect Awards. The same year, Nathan
was one of 21 group training apprentices and trainees from across Australia invited to
attend the Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders program in Canberra.
As part of his HVTC Award prize, Nathan was presented with a fantastic toolbox.
However, as he explained to HVTC Operations Manager Libby Ford, he already had a
good tool box and wanted to gift his prize on to another Indigenous trainee.
Chris Chalker, who had made a real impression on the supervisors at Brookfield’s Bega
Hospital project where he completed a Certificate II in Construction Pathways in 2015,
was a clear choice.
Chris Chalker & Nathan Anderson
04 skills change lives
“Chris’s commitment, willingness to learn, initiative and strong work ethic was
appreciated and respected by everyone who worked with him. He looks set to have a
great future and I hope this toolbox proves very useful,” said Nathan.
HR and Safety
Update
In 2015 HVTC launched its Health
and Wellbeing newsletter to promote
positive health and safety messages to
our staff, apprentices and trainees.
We continue to maintain a strong focus
on health and wellbeing and each
month publish an online newsletter
which features a different health theme.
John Dowse
An original HVTC Alumnus
When John Dowse looks back over the past 35 years, he remembers his time
with HVTC with great affection and is especially appreciative of the care and
support Kay Sharp and Rae Black gave him and other apprentices in the early
days of their apprenticeship.
“They were our mums away from home. If we ever had a problem we would ring
one of them and they would bend over backwards to sort things out,” said John.
Each issue includes relevant lifestyle
information, details about a related
smartphone app and healthy recipes.
We recently featured the important role
physical activity plays in our wellbeing
in the Active April issue.
The health benefits from regular
exercise are many, including:
•
a better mood - feeling more
confident and happier in general
•
endless medical reasons - healthy
weight, stronger bones, lower
blood pressure, reduced risk of
illness and diseases
•
general physical well-being improved balance, flexibility
and coordination
“Mr Morris would also drop in from time to time to see how we were getting on.”
In 1981, when HVTC advertised for apprentices in Taree, John admits he was
initially interested as a way of getting out of school.
“I became an apprentice welder and was in the first of two intakes in Taree that
year.”
HVTC paid apprentices while they attended Taree TAFE full time and whilst
some dropped out, of the ten apprentices John started with, six went on to take
up further training at Eraring Power Station at Morisset.
“There were about 20 of us all up at Eraring. As well as the Taree blokes there
were others from Blacktown and Lismore and we were all HVTC apprentices.”
Mrs Sharp organised for them to stay at the Morisset Caravan Park and John
admits they used to play up a bit.
John remembers the van park owner being less than impressed when they
were kicking a football around and, as he looks back as a 52 year old, John now
understands why.
“It would have been challenging having a lively of bunch of 16 and 17 year olds
living in your caravan park.”
During Active April, staff at our HVTC
offices got involved and participated in
a yoga session. Yoga is a great activity
which offers many benefits for both our
physical health and mental wellbeing.
Our Health and Wellbeing newsletter
is distributed via email to all staff,
including our apprentices and trainees
working with their host employers.
It’s also available for viewing on
Facebook. Please visit us at www.
facebook.com/hvtcpage for healthy
lifestyle information and ideas, and
'Like' our page while you’re there.
From Eraring, John went to work at Bayswater Power Station at Muswellbrook
and, after finishing his apprenticeship, worked with Transfield for 10 years.
Sixteen years after leaving Taree, John returned. He married, had two daughters
and continued his career as a welder with various companies including
Wingham Engineering, the Lord Safe Company and Goninan.
In 1998 John decided it was time to hang up his welding wand and joined the
North Coast Institute of TAFE where he is a technical assistant in the automotive
section.
When asked about the importance of an apprenticeship John says, “Just do it
because you'll value it for the rest of your life!”
HVTC Hunter yogis
05
Young women make their mark
Gender parity was the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March
and HVTC is very proud to have so many talented young women bridging the
gender divide and successfully establishing careers for themselves in what are
often considered non-traditional trades for women.
Our trainees and apprentices come from diverse backgrounds and experiences
but they all have one thing in common - a shared passion for pursuing careers that
challenge and engage them irrespective of traditional ideas about gender roles.
We’d like to introduce you to some of our inspiring female apprentices and trainees.
KIRSTEN EDEN
Certificate III Production Nursery
Apprenticeship
Sutherland Shire Council
I was looking for an alternative
education pathway to the HSC
and doing an apprenticeship was a
great fit for me. Horticulture is often
considered a non-traditional trade
for females but that didn’t put me
off. It’s an industry that I love and I
was able to study, train and work at
the same time which was great.
JOSEPHINE REDMAN
Certificate III in Hospitality
Apprenticeship
Goulburn Workers Club
I’d always wanted to learn a trade
and my passion is cooking so I
feel really lucky that I have this
wonderful opportunity to combine
the two. I’d encourage anyone
interested in doing a trade course
to do so. It’s amazing what’s out
there and there are so many ways
to learn and train.
ELISSA BURGIN
Certificate III Water Operations
Apprenticeship
Kempsey Shire Council
I was a little apprehensive about taking
on a non-traditional trade and being
one of only a few females but I knew
I’d been given a great opportunity and
it was up to me to put those thoughts
aside and get on with the job and do it
to the best of my ability.
PATRINA REICHEL
Certificate III Electrotechnology
Apprenticeship
RMS Services
Meeting other women in electrical trades
gave me more confidence to take on a
trade. I really enjoy my apprenticeship
and working towards my Certificate III in
Electrotechnology. The course and the
work are really interesting and it’s satisfying
knowing I can complete tasks to the same
standards and accomplish the same results
as my male colleagues.
GEORGIA BROWN
Certificate III Parks & Gardens
Apprenticeship
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
I wasn’t put off at the thought of working
in a male dominated industry. Everyone
should be able to choose their own
work pathway and whilst these types of
jobs can be challenging they are also
very rewarding. I’m very appreciative of
the opportunity to gain a valuable trade
qualification in an industry I enjoy.
06 skills change lives
KORRIYN VASSALLI
Certificate III Electrotechnology
Apprenticeship
Origin Energy
I’ve always had an interest in
technical work and I can’t believe I’m
actually an apprentice electrician.
I’m in my element and love what I do.
I feel like my work really matters and
what I achieve in a day gives me a
measurable success. Companies are
very accepting and encouraging of
female tradies.
KRISTY BLACKA
Certificate III Engineering Mechanical Trade
Apprenticeship
ANSTO
Growing up I liked to build things but
when it came to choosing a career I
was pushed in the direction of
teaching and child care because it was
considered more feminine. It wasn’t for
me and I now have a job that I love,
especially the fitting and maintenance
side of things.
IRENE KYRIACOU
Certificate III Electrotechnology
Apprenticeship
BlueScope
I’d always thought I’d go into
teaching but the closer I got to the
end of Year 12 I realised it really
wasn’t what I wanted to do. My
dad is an electrician and I was
interested in following a similar
path. I love the practical side of my
apprenticeship and the industrial
environment I’m working in.
NAOMI ALVES
Certificate III Electrotechnology
Apprenticeship
BlueScope
Towards the end of high school I
decided to do a pre-apprenticeship
in electrotechnology and absolutely
loved it. Everything just evolved
from there. I’m thoroughly enjoying
every aspect of my job - from the
practical, hands-on work to the
problem solving component.
I’m learning something new each
day which is really expanding my
skill set.
CAITLIN FORD
Certificate III Civil Construction
Traineeship
Upper Lachlan Shire Council
I’d been working in hospitality but
it really wasn’t what I wanted to
do. I much prefer working outdoors
so I was really excited when the
traineeship opportunity with the
Council came up. Everyone on
the team gives me a fair go and
I don’t feel that being a female is
a disadvantage.
07
MEET THE TEAM
CareerGate™ assessments
Sarah Shaw
HVTC Illawarra Receptionist, Sarah
Shaw, started with the company as a
trainee and recently celebrated her
5th anniversary as a staff member.
What do you like most about your
job at HVTC?
Working alongside all the HVTC staff,
getting to know them not only as
colleagues but as friends. I like the
busy and ever-changing environment
and the opportunity to learn
new skills.
What was the last movie you
watched and how would you
rate it?
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. I would give it an 8 out of 10.
What was the first music you
ever bought?
100% Hits; I’m not sure what year but
it was probably around 1997-98.
Tell us something most people
don’t know about you.
I was a goalkeeper in the Young
Matildas squad (under 20s Australian
women’s national soccer team) when
I was younger. I have been on tours
of the UK and China with Australian
and Illawarra teams. I have played in
national and state leagues, and have
won the NSW first grade goalkeeper
of the year twice.
Share a recent happy memory.
A happy memory would be our recent
family trip down to Shoalhaven Zoo
with my husband and 18 month old
daughter. Watching the excitement
on her little face when she saw all the
animals. She also got to feed and pat
them, it was priceless. If it was up to
her we would have brought the whole
zoo home with us!
CareerGate™ is a free, personalised assessment and recruitment service designed
to help job seekers select an occupation, training pathway or apprenticeship that’s
most suited to them.
It also provides access to self-help, web-based resources for self-assessment and
career information.
Through CareerGate™ we can assess a jobseeker's eligibility for Australian
Government incentives and trade support loans and obtain advice on any subsidies
that may be applicable including the Disabled Australian Apprenticeship Wage
Support Program.
Since December last year, we have assisted over 700 young job seekers across
the state with career assessments. These have included students from a number of
schools with the support of their career advisors.
Contact HVTC today to book a free CareerGate™ assessment.
GROUP TRAINING ORGANISATIONS
Northern Rivers, North Coast, North West, Mid Coast, Hunter, Sydney,
Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Shoalhaven ..............1800 247 864
REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATION
Hunter-V-Tec ................................................................02 4932 4184
AUSTRALIAN APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT NETWORK
AASN services ..............................................................1300 247 864
Call us today
1800 247 864
hvtc.com.au
Quality apprentices and trainees
08 skills change lives