Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to congratulate several school students from the electorate of Banks. Four students were among the 467 Australian Vocational Student Prize winners for 2006. Anita Kemp of Revesby Heights, Tim Mifsud of Revesby, Steve Munro of Milperra and Belinda Willetts of Beverly Hills were awarded prizes. These awards are designed to encourage and recognise outstanding senior secondary students undertaking a vocational program. School students’ experiences in vocational education provide a rich educational resource which benefits the students both in the classroom and in the workplace.

The principal of the student’s school or education provider is the nominator. Nominators are required to provide evidence that the student has demonstrated outstanding skill and high achievement while undertaking a vocational education and training in schools program or a school based new apprenticeship. An outstanding student will demonstrate (1) strong evidence of outstanding skill and high achievement appropriate to their vocational education and training in schools program or school based new apprenticeship, and a high to exceptional level of determination and commitment to achieving outstanding outcomes; and (2) outstanding employability skills in his/her vocational education and training in schools program or school based new apprenticeship. The employability skills are communication, team work, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organising, self-management, learning and technology skills.

I met Belinda and Anita with their mothers recently at a function in my office to acknowledge their success. These students have now moved on to study in their chosen fields. Belinda is learning fashion design and Anita is an apprentice chef. I will also be shortly meeting with three students from Banks who have been awarded 2005 Australian students prizes. Bijana Caceska of Mortdale, Matthew Gibson of Oatley and Benjamin Nham of Padstow were each recipients of one of 500 awards made nationally.

These prizes give national recognition to academic excellence and achievement in secondary education, particularly in senior secondary years. These are the years which are most demanding for students, and it is important to acknowledge the successes. Eligible students are nominated by the relevant state/territory government through an assessment process, with the final winners announced by the minister. On behalf of our community, I wish to formally acknowledge the outstanding success of these seven students. They and their families have made tremendous sacrifices, and those sacrifices have come to fruition in the results they have achieved. I wish them all well in their future careers.