Education and experience puts national training award nominee a “choice” cut above the rest
23 November 2004
A former butcher, now responsible for a multi-million dollar meat operation, has won the Vocational Student of the Year Award at the 2004 Australian Training Award.
Greg Wareham, 36, from the Melbourne suburb of Frankston South received the national award at a ceremony held at the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne tonight.
A butcher by trade Greg is now operations manager at a large beef exporting company, G & K O’Connor Pty Ltd in Pakenham, where he manages more than 300 employees.
Accepting his award, Greg said skills and qualifications are the be all and end all in his industry.
“I’ve been promoted thanks to my training, which is extremely satisfying in a competitive industry where people are only recognised by their skills and qualifications,” he said.
Completing a Diploma of Meat Processing at the Victoria University of Technology, Greg finished within the top five per cent of his student body.
The judging panel was particularly impressed with Greg’s high skills standards and his strong conviction in the value of training and the benefits it can bring to an individual and industry.
According to ANTA chairman David Hind a highly skilled Australian workforce is key to growing the national economy and to ensuring Australia remains competitive internationally.
“Students, like Greg, are proof positive that vocational education and training is the pathway to a great career,” said Mr Hind.
Judith Trezise from Darwin was runner up in the Vocational Student of the Year category.
Greg is one of four Victorian achievers at the awards. Sandra Stewart, a mature-aged student from Mildura, is runner-up in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year category, Claire Wallace, a dairy farm manager from Nullawarre south-east of Warrnambool, is runner up in the New Apprenticeships Trainee of the Year category. Even the venue won an award with Crown Ltd, operator of the Crown Entertainment Complex, taking out the services 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.
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