Trainee with local passion wins national title
23 November 2004
A young local with a passion for helping her community has won the New Apprenticeships Trainee of the Year Award at the 2004 Australian Training Awards.
Samantha Johnson from Madora received the national award at a ceremony held at the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne tonight.
Samantha completed her traineeship at Mandurah Youth Commitment, a not-for-profit organisation aiming to improve the education, training and employment outcomes for disadvantaged young people. She has a Certificate III in Business Administration from Challenger TAFE.
She says the traineeship turned her life around, improving her self-confidence and giving her the business skills to undertake project work with disadvantaged young people. “A traineeship is a stepping stone to where you want to go,” said Samantha.
“Training opened the doors for my future career path and offered me a different learning environment in which to excel,” she says.
“I am really excited about the future because my main ambition in life is to actually help these kids and share my skills with the community.”
Despite being an early school leaver and encountering many personal obstacles, Samantha achieved her success through an extraordinary level of determination to excel.
Her long term goal is to work in community services, using her administration skills and life experiences to assist other young people overcome personal difficulties and barriers.
According to ANTA chairman, David Hind, a highly skilled Australian workforce is key to supporting local communities and the diversity of individuals within them.
“Students, like Samantha, are proof positive that vocational education and training is the pathway to a rewarding career,” said Mr Hind.
Runner up in the Trainee of the Year category was Claire Wallace, a 21-year-old dairy farmer from Narrewarre in Victoria’s south-west.
Other winners from the West included an innovative training program designed for prisoners by WA’s AusWest Specialist Education and Training Services, which picked up the award in the prestigious Australian Training Initiative category. Grain marketer Co-operative Bulk Handling (CBH) Group won the Agri-Food Industry Award.
The Australian Training Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of apprentices, trainees and students as well as the contribution of enterprises and training providers to skilling Australia.
The Awards are hosted by the Australian National Training Authority and supported by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Jan Martin -- 0418 875 547
Alison Carbery -- 0409 070 507
Samantha Murray – 0407 898 724