Awards
August 2007 - Sheridan stars at the "G"
March 2006 - Frank Sheridan Award
August 2005 - Clean Sweep for Tasmania at National Training Awards
August 2004 - Queenstown Employer Wins National Award for Excellence
August 2003 - 2003 Ministers Award for Excellence Rural & Regional Employers of New Apprentices
August 2007 - Sheridan stars at the “G”
Australia’s vocational excellence was soaring high into the lofty heights of the hallowed grounds as the best of the best celebrated major achievements in 2007 at Melbourne’s MCG.
More than 300 guests from across Australia were on hand to see and hear how the best employers of Australia’s Apprentices have made this year a stellar year for growth, focus and outcomes in vocational training.
Minister Andrew Robb “kicked-off” the celebrations in the afternoon with all winners charging onto the MCG through the Australian Apprenticeships “club” banner.
Amongst the winners was Business & employment’s Australian Apprenticeships Senior Consultant Diane Sheridan, herself the Tasmania winner of the Ministers Award for Excellence 2007 in Apprenticeships Administration. Di was thrilled to be the winner for Tasmania and to be amongst her colleagues from across Australia including the National award winner Thomas Fallon.
“Winning this prestigious award for me was about recognition for our team as well as for myself. It’s a pleasure to promote and deliver something you really believe in and to receive this sort of recognition through nominations from your employer clients is a real bonus” said Mrs. Sheridan.
Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues Mrs. Sheridan was delighted to meet MC Max Walker, himself another of Tasmania’s high achievers. “I was thrilled that Max Walker took the time to meet John and I and to autograph the lovely winners certificate I received from Minister Robb – it capped off a lovely evening.”
Witnessing the gala event CEO Andrew Billing said it was another special moment in the highlights he was able to celebrate with dedicated and professional staff. "I know our clients appreciate the effort Dianne and her team make each day in delivering the Australian Apprenticeships service but it’s wonderful to see that others appreciate that focus" said Mr. Billing.
Business & Employment's Australian Apprenticeships Centre has won the State award twice in three years and as a sign of brilliance Diane’s work colleague and regional supporter, Vanessa Skipworth was the inaugural National winner of the award. The award made by the Minister is dedicated to the memory of long term Australian Apprenticeships professional the late Jeff Styles from West Australia.
Another feature of the awards night for Business & Employment was the success of Impact Fertilisers Australia, who were named the State Runner Up for the Minister’s Award for Excellence (Tasmanian Region). Impact Fertilisers have supported Australian Apprenticeships throughout their statewide operations, including King Island, for more than 5 years, 4 of these in partnership with Business & Employment. They have a strong commitment to vocational training and through structured training pathways for their employees they have developed and demonstrated career opportunities available within the company, leading to lower employee turnover.
March 2006 - Frank Sheridan Award
Vanessa Rowlings, a consultant for Business & Employment’s New Apprenticeships Centre has just been awarded the Frank Sheridan Award for successfully bringing together forest industry clients and registered training organisations to grow and recognise industry skills and qualifications through New Apprenticeships.
This significant industry recognition caps off a stellar year for Ms Rowlings who is the reigning National New Apprenticeships Administration employee of the year. That honour was bestowed on Vanessa at the annual Ministers Awards for Excellence in New Apprenticeships staged at Sea World Nara.
The Frank Sheridan Award was established to recognise the above average skills or achievements of an individual in the pursuit of normal day to day work tasks within any job associated with the forest based industries in the “64” – North-west telephone region of Tasmania. The Award provides a bursary of $1,000 for the travel costs and associated expenses to help further the winner’s work related skills, experience or their personal and professional development.
The object of the Award is to help a person who would not usually have the opportunity to travel as part of normal work tasks. The three Tasmanian Forest Industries Clubs, which are part of the Hoo Hoo International forest industry fraternity, combine their resources to assist the winner develop an appropriate tour itinerary.
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| Business & Employment staff celebrate Vanessa's win. LtoR Sallyann Fisher, Vannessa Rowlings, Diane Sheridan, Graeme Murphy, Kim Beveridge-Read |
The North West Forest Industries Club is indebted to Frank Sheridan who won the 1996 Tasmanian World Forestry Day Award for his outstanding contribution to training and supervision of forest operations. Frank very generously provided a significant component of his World Forestry Day Award to the North West Forest Industries Club for an annual Award. The North West Tasmania Forest Industries Club will continue to supplement Frank’s generous grant to ensure the Frank Sheridan Award will continue.
Business & Employments New Apprenticeships Centre Team passionately care about skills in demand, recognition of skills and providing Tasmanian industry with solutions through New Apprenticeships. We look forward to Vanessa using her grant later this year to learn more about the forest industry to improve her ability to serve our forest industry clients through the utilisation of New Apprenticeships.
August 2005 - Clean Sweep for Tasmania at National Training Awards
With the spotlight on industrial skills and development two Tasmanian businesses have cleaned up big time at a National event at Sea World Nara Resort last night, Monday August 1, 2005.
Business & Employment CEO Mr Andrew Billing said “It was August 1 and I had to pinch myself. It is delightful for our employees and employees of Award winning organisation Collex Pty Limited to be on the national stage together”.
Collex, the Tasmanian winner of the Minister’s Awards for Excellence, is an organisation that provides environmental, waste management, recycling and industrial cleaning services. Serving Tasmania with approximately 230 employees, Collex (Tasmania) has actively worked over the last few years to develop a strong learning and development culture within its state wide operations and has some forty (40) New Apprentices, a quarter of whom are female. This is the first year Collex have entered the awards.
Collex received the award from the Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, The Hon Gary Hardgrave MP at a gala award celebrating excellence in the employment and training of New Apprenticeships in 2004. Interest in the awards has soared in recent years with 446 employers (up from 176 in 2004) from across Australia vying for the honour and prizes.
“We are equally thrilled that Business & Employment’s New Apprenticeship staff member Ms Vanessa Rowlings was awarded the inaugural prize as the winner of the New Apprenticeship Administration Award for Australia”, said Mr Billing. This new category for 2005, presented by The Hon Brendan Nelson MP, was developed as a testimony to the late Jeff Styles from West Australia. Mr Styles had dedicated many years of support to Australia’s training effort as a New Apprenticeship Centre (NAC) employee and lost his fight with cancer early this year.
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| The winning team! |
Tasmania is experiencing skill vacancy shortages in a range of traditional and new economy positions. “These awards highlight the vital role that both employers and New Apprentices play in plugging the skill gap” said Mr Billing. “It is vital for our future as a State that we recognise best practice in New Apprenticeships and share that understanding with others in the community. Then we can work together to plan and address the range of skilled vacancies that exist with appropriate training, support and incentives”.
Nationally Business & Employment has been at the forefront of the need for greater focus on the role of New Apprenticeships and this award tops off a “hat trick” since the 2003 awards event. The organisation has also supported efforts at a national level to raise the profile of the awards as a means to improving focus on skill development Australia wide.
Approximately One Hundred and Eighty (180) employers, New Apprentices, staff and special guests were present at Sea World Nara Resort (a winning organisation from the 2004 awards) to hear the results for 2005.
August 2004 - Queenstown Employer Wins National Award for Excellence
At an awards ceremony in Adelaide on Tuesday 17 August 2004 Schulze Engineering Pty Ltd and Business & Employment were awarded a Ministers Award for Excellence for Employers of New Apprentices.
The awards attracted 200 nominations from around Australia and from 22 winners the partnership of Schulze Engineering Pty Ltd and Business & Employment was the only Tasmanian winner.
“This award is recognition for the hard work all Schulze Engineering staff have put in and testimony to the fact that we have the correct training processes and programmes in place for our New Apprentices”, said Mr Brett Schulze Managing Director, Schulze Engineering Pty Ltd. “Our management team is very involved in the training of our staff.”
Schulze Engineering employs 41 staff including 14 New Apprentices.
Mr Schulze went on to say, “The New Apprenticeships Program is very important to the viability of our business and has solved the downturn in available tradespeople. However, it is not just business that benefits. We are a community of 3,000 people and it is important that we offer our kids an opportunity so that they don’t have to leave Queenstown to pursue a career. Keeping our youth here benefits both the community and the local economy.”
Amy Britten an Engineering Fabrication Apprentice at Schulze Engineering chose to stay in Queenstown and become the first woman Schulze Engineering employed in the workshop. “I love going to work, it’s great to be able to stay in my local community and pursue a nationally recognised qualification,” said Amy.
Ms Vanessa Rowlings, Business & Employment New Apprenticeships Centre Regional Consultant, based in Devonport said, “This award is confirmation of something that we already knew, Schulze Engineering is a dedicated employer with a genuine concern for the interests of their employees and the community. We are extremely proud and exited about receiving this award.”
Although New Apprenticeships are for all age groups typically across Australia they cater for the 70% of young Australians who do not go straight from school to university, and provide over 1500 nationally recognised qualifications.
August 2003 - 2003 Ministers Award for Excellence Rural & Regional Employers of New Apprentices
Business & Employment and Devonport City Council (DCC) celebrated the success of the “Class of 2003”, the New Apprentices who helped DCC to be one of only sixteen (16) employers nationally from Rural and Regional Australia (and Tasmania’s only winner) to be recognised with a special Ministerial award.
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| Devonport City Council Apprentices Celebrate their award. |
The breakfast entertained approx. eighty (80) guests with the spotlight on DCC’s New Apprentices. Speakers included The Hon. Senator Richard Colbeck representing the Commonwealth of Australia. Senator Colbeck praised the effort of employers such as DCC who lifted the profile of New Apprentices and put so much effort into training their staff and contributing to the nation’s skilled workforce. Senator Colbeck acknowledged the excellent exposure Business & Employment was able to generate for not only this program, but also others in the State. Prizes included $5,000 cash plus a handsome trophy and framed certificate.
Senator Colbeck and DCC Acting General Manager Mr David Jones also presented special certificates and embossed pens to mark the occasion to all of DCC’s “Class of 2003”. Speaking at the function Mr Jones highlighted the key motivation for DCC to support the national system of structured training, citing a common theme of; “…generating a skilled, motivated, loyal and productive team of employees for DCC…”
Mr Jones went on to add they (DCC) were delighted to be involved in the New Apprenticeships program. Representing Business & Employment, Mr Tim Ritchie said he was proud that DCC was recognised for their contribution to New Apprenticeships in rural and regional Australia and the effort from the team of dedicated staff in the NAC service who were charged with generating growth in New Apprenticeships across Tasmania. Mr Ritchie added the state is performing well in a number of profiles, particularly the participation of women and the qualification levels but more challenges lay ahead given the demand for skilled workers is expected to continue to be high.
Recognition was also afforded to DCC’s personnel officer Julie Fitzpatrick given her strong acceptance of the program and the integration of New Apprenticeships within the organisation.
