NECA Education & Careers 2022 Awards

The Awards continued to be bigger and better than ever with close to 300 guests attending the MCG on 24 March.

NECA Education & Careers returned to the Olympic Room at the MCG to recognise the achievements made by our apprentices, trainees, and host employers in 2022.

Finalists, employers, the NECA Education & Careers Board, families, friends, staff, and industry guests started the night in the Betty Cuthbert Lounge with the Mal Sedegreen Ensemble jazz trio setting the atmosphere.

Staff hosts Roxie Di Pastena (GTO Coordinator and Return to Work) and John Taufer (General Manager Careers (Vic) and OHS) began the formalities by acknowledging sponsors NECA Victoria, Cbus Super, Protect, NHP, Middy’s Electrical and Milwaukee Tools, and event sponsors Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN), Energy Safe Victoria, Network Insurance Group and FujiFilm Business Innovation.

They then welcomed NECA Education & Careers CEO Gideon Perrott to stage to thank his predecessor, Phil Green, and commend his legacy in creating an environment for apprentices and trainees to thrive. Gideon concluded by introducing Chairman Steve Herbert, who applauded the apprentices and teachers for adapting to the challenges of COVID.

The first awards to be presented were for our Tasmanian Group Training apprentices. As the largest employer of electrical apprentices in Victoria and Tasmania, our Group Training Organisation has over 450 employees. The GTO awards recognise the most outstanding apprentices and trainees employed by NECA Education & Careers.

Tasmanian Group Training Organisation Award Winners

Anna and Vicky from the NECA Education & Careers Group Training team accompanied the winning Tasmanian apprentices to Victoria, chosen by remote judging interviews with our industry judges in Melbourne.

Tasmanian 1st Year Apprentice of the Year – Jesse Springer

Tasmanian 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year – Bianca Eberle, with an Honourable Mention to Cody Rogers

Tasmanian 3rd Year Apprentice of the Year – Flynn Harris

Tasmanian 4th Year Apprentice of the Year – Jak Rowbottom

Jesse Springer, Tasmanian 1st Year Apprentice of the Year

Bianca Eberle, Tasmanian 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year

Flynn Harris, Tasmanian 3rd Year Apprentice of the Year

Jak Rowbottom, Tasmanian 4th Year Apprentice of the Year

These awards were followed by the section recognising leading students and teachers in our Registered Training Organisation. As an RTO we have over 1300 students in our trade school, but there are always some whose dedication to the trade put them ahead of the rest.

An important presentation each year is the Kevin Stevens Excellence Award for Academic Achievement, named in memory of a former NECA Education & Careers trade school teacher.

The Stevens family attended, with Kevin’s son Brett expressing the family’s pride in being able to represent Kevin at the awards each year and speaking about his father’s passion, the values of that he instilled in his trade school students and how much the continued remembrance of Kevin meant to the family.

Registered Training Organisation Award Winners

Teacher of the Year (voted by students and peers) – Carl Dziunka

1st Year Student Apprentice of the Year – Nikolas Kasteliotis and Tong Yak

2nd Year Student Apprentice of the Year – Katrina Kessaris, with an Honourable Mention to Kevin Li

Kevin Stevens Excellence Award for Academic Achievement (3rd Year Student Apprentice) – Danial Monaghan, with an Honourable Mention to Lucas Francione

Natalie Green, General Manager Training and Development at NECA Education & Careers, and Carl Dziunka, Teacher of the Year

Sue Sizer, Head of Electrical Licensing and Training at ESV, and Tong Yak, 1st Year Student Apprentice of the Year

Katrina Kessaris, 2nd Year Student Apprentice of the Year

Stevens Family with Danial Monaghan, winner of the Kevin Stevens Excellence Award for Academic Achievement

Prior to the Victorian Group Training categories, guests were entertained over dinner by more music from the Mal Sedergreen Ensemble, who had also been underscoring the presentations throughout the night.

After dinner there was a special guest performance from comedy hypnotist Matt Hale who had volunteers driving, dancing, and playing air guitar to the delight of the audience.

Victorian Group Training Organisation Award Winners

The 2022 Awards saw the introduction of two new categories in our Victorian Group Training Awards. Inspiration Trainee of the Year recognises individuals for their contribution to achieving the status of equal opportunity within the workforce and inspiring others. Female Apprentice of the Year arose from the successful Women and Their Trade program as a way to celebrate and encourage women in the industry.

Trainee of the Year – Damien Pace and Alexandra Wardell, with an Honourable Mention to Jason Collins

Inspiration Trainee of the Year – Anthony Elice, with an Honourable Mention to Jordyn Brash

Female Apprentice of the Year – Bonnie Saunders, with an Honourable Mention to Hannah Ibrahim

Junior Apprentice of the Year – Anna Wright, with Honourable Mentions to Cynthia Molnar and Joshua Parker

Senior Apprentice of the Year – Jack Cutajar, with Honourable Mentions to Adam Reidy-Crofts and Robert Tabone

Jason Collins, Honourable Mention, and Damien Pace and Alexandra Wardell, Trainees of the Year

Suzie Smith, Senior Programs Advisor at NECA Education & Careers, with Anthony Elice, Inspiration Trainee of the Year

Bonnie Saunders, Female Apprentice of the Year

Junior Apprentice of the Year Finalists
(L-R back row): Luke Cindric, Will Southwell, Stefan Natsis, Marko Backovic, Joshua Parker
(L-R front row): Anthony Pirrottina, Cynthia Molnar, Josh Gay

Jack Cutajar, Senior Apprentice of the Year, and David De Cata, Strategic Partnerships Manager at NHP

The final awards of the night were presented to the host employers, who provide our GTO apprentices and trainees with not only workplace experience in their chosen field but outstanding support and guidance.