House debates

Monday, 2 December 2019

Statements by Members

Northern Territory: Australian Training Awards

4:30 pm

Photo of Luke GoslingLuke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I'd like to acknowledge the Territorians who were honoured at the recent Australian Training Awards and make special mention of Judith McKay, the recipient of the National Achievement Award. Judith is a champion of VET in the NT. She started in VET as a frontline trainer and assessor in alcohol and other drugs with the Northern Territory government and 18 years on maintains her passion as an advocate for vocational training.

To the Territory winners: Rory Milner added to his growing awards, winning the Apprentice of the Year. Well done, Rory. Jack Short took out the runner-up position as the Trainee of the Year. We had many finalists from the Territory. Ashlee Gilder was a finalist for the Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year Award; Jacqui Culgan was a finalist for the Vocational Student of the Year Award; Raelene Collins was a finalist for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award; Patricia Fawcett was a finalist for the VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award; and Wendy Kennedy was nominated as a finalist for the Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award.

Well done to everyone from the Northern Territory working in the vocational education and training sector. It is so important to our future, as you are well aware, Mr Deputy Speaker Mitchell. It is vital, and it doesn't help when those VET funding streams get cut, because these kids are our future. We need young Australians having these trades for the future.