John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge VERTO, who took out the Large Training Provider of the Year award last week at the 2015 Australian Training Awards. VERTO is a community owned, not-for-profit registered training organisation, delivering a range of employment and training services to assist individuals, employers and industries in communities across New South Wales. It started as an evening college in Bathurst in the early 1980s and now provides services from 27 locations, training about 3,000 people each year in both accredited and non-accredited vocational training, offering a range of over 50 qualifications.

We are lucky in Calare to have such a dedicated team of people delivering top-quality training, whether it be in Indigenous education, disability support or specialised training, linking the most disadvantaged people in our community with sustainable employment opportunities. At the moment they are running an incredibly valuable program at Glenroi Heights Public School and the Canobolas Rural Technology High School in Orange to help improve a student's transition to high school under the federal government's Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

I congratulate VERTO Chief Executive Ron Maxwell and the team on taking out the award. You are very worthy recipients.