St Nicholas trainee educators recognised with NSW Training Awards nominations

Talia Goodwin and Jaymayah Waters, both trainees with St Nicholas Early Education, have been recognised for their performances with nominations in the NSW Training Awards.

Ms Goodwin has been nominated in the School Based Apprenticeship or Trainee (SBAT) of the Year category, and Ms Waters in the Trainee of the Year space. Ms Goodwin is in the top five for her SBAT category, with Ms Waters in the top three for hers. 

The educators will progress to regional finals on 22 June, with winners at regional level then progressing to State based finals. 

Ms Waters said that she was shocked by the nomination at first, but knew that the experience of participating in the Awards would be “so rewarding” and that she will “be forever thankful for being given the opportunity” of being a trainee with St Nicholas. 

Both women are part of the St Nicholas Pathways initiative which was launched in 2019, a vocational training measure designed to support, empower and retain their trainees and existing workers through the creation of a career pathway model.

The Pathways initiative currently has 17 students committed to training as SBATs across seven St Nicholas Early Education centres.

Pathways operations manager, Sonia Liddiard, said the aim for the provider was to not only be an early education provider of choice, but an employer of choice with a workforce strategy that positioned them for staffing excellence.

Students enrolled in St Nicholas Pathways’ SBAT Program undertake training through International Child Care College RTO 90081, a multi-award-winning Registered Training Organisation specialising in early childhood education and care that proudly advocates a 98 per cent completion rate for students.

Trainees with St Nicholas have a 90 per cent trainee retention rate, positioning both the program and its students for career success, a spokesperson said. 

From a personal perspective, Ms Goodwin said the program supported her when she was struggling to manage the workload with her Year 11 studies. After approaching her year level advisor, she was supported to explore other options, finding St Nicholas after some school holiday research. 

Despite “loving her work” the SBAT experience has not come without its challenges, she said. 

“Joining the SBAT Program meant I would have to stay back in school because I started it in Year 12 and it’s a two-year program,” Ms Goodwin said. “I have to face finishing my schooling without my classmates. It was very daunting for me, but I was willing to face the challenge” she said. 

Applications for the 2021-2022 St Nicholas Pathways’ SBAT Program open in Term 3, 2020.  

Further information about a school-based traineeship with St Nicholas Pathways is available here.