Over 220 guests enjoyed fine dining and entertainment from jazz extraordinaires The Mal Sedergreen Ensemble at our 2021 Awards held at the MCG on 18 March.
Apprentices, Trainees, Host Employers, NECA Education & Careers Board, families, friends and staff enjoyed an evening which started with pre-dinner drinks, entertainment from a funky emerging jazz trio, and awesome views of the MCG from the Betty Cuthbert lounge.
NECA Education & Careers’ Darin Jewell and Adisa Husanovic were joint MCs for the evening and after everyone was seated at the twenty two beautifully decorated tables, Chairman Steven Herbert gave an opening address.
Steven mentioned the significance of the Women and Their Trade (WaTT) partnerships in both Victoria and Tasmania and thanked host employers who have been especially supportive of the initiatives empowering women to enter the electrical industry. He then congratulated all finalists and winners for their efforts and stressed how important this was to developing new industry talent.
Steven also gave recognition and thanks to NECA Education & Careers sponsors NECA Victoria, Cbus Super, Protect, NHP, Middy’s Electrical and Milwaukee Tools, and event sponsors Apprenticeships Employment Network (AEN), Energy Safe Victoria, Network Insurance Group and FujiFilm.
Finalists and awards winners were called to the stage as their category was announced, heralded by the clever stings from The Mal Sedergreen Ensemble who later excelled with awesome jazz and vocals from famed jazz singer Nina Ferro during entree and dinner.
As an RTO we have over 200 apprentices completing their Certificate III in Electrotechnology every year. We have seen some of the most talented electricians come through our doors. The awards recognise those who stand out and show the most potential within the their apprenticeship year across academic performance, technical skill, team work and safe work practices.
Registered Training Organisation Award Winners
1st Year Student Apprentice of the Year – Zac Storer
2nd Year Student Apprentice of the Year – Adam Dudfield
Kevin Stevens Excellence Award for Academic Achievement (3rd Year Student Apprentice) – Fletcher Duke
Teacher of the Year (awarded by students) – Craig Roper
As a Group Training Organisation, NECA Education & Careers employs over 350 Electrical Apprentices and Trainees in Business, Telecommunications, and Information Technology – the largest employer of electrical apprentices in Victoria.
The GTO Awards recognise our Victorian and Tasmanian GTO Apprentices and Trainees who, in 2021, demonstrated a high level of aptitude and have gone above and beyond throughout their apprenticeship.
Group Training Organisation Award Winners
Tasmanian GTO
Tasmanian Commercial/Domestic Apprentice of the Year Award – Lleyton Duggan, with Highly Commended awarded to Connor Hammond
Tasmanian Industrial Apprentice of the Year Award – Hayden Reid
Tasmanian Outstanding Achievement Award – Maxwell O’Brien
Tasmanian High Achievement Award – Connor Baker
Victorian GTO
Trainee of the Year – Indiana Dawson, with Highly Commended awarded to Tyler Smart
Junior Apprentice of the Year – Riley Timms
Senior Apprentice of the Year – Chris Aresti
We greatly appreciate the Host employers who give Trainees and Apprentices such amazing opportunities, often going above and beyond to support and develop them.
Host Employers
Traineeship Host Employer Award – Court Services Victoria
Electrical Small Host Employer Award – Hi-Tech Electrical
Electrical Medium Host Employer Award – Projex Electrical Controls
Electrical Large Host Employer Awards – Programmed Electrical Technologies
As a fitting wrap up for an excellent evening, we shared a video of staff wishing current CEO Phil Green a happy upcoming retirement, thanking him for his eight years at the helm of NECA Education & Careers and over thirty years of service to the Electrical Industry.