Professional development
Workforce
ECEC has a strong showing at WA training awards
Freya Lucas
Sep 19, 2023
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Federica Ceretta and Hannah Morrison are two of the thirteen winners from this year’s WA Training Awards, chosen from a field of 45 finalists for special recognition during a ceremony held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The WA Training Awards have a long and distinguished history of fostering and celebrating success in vocational education and training, WA Training Minister Simone McGurk said, profiling the enormous range of skills training offered and the importance the Vocational Education and Training sector plays in developing highly skilled people who can walk into jobs that are both rewarding and diverse.Both Ms Morrison and Ms Ceretta work in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, and will receive $3,000 in prize money, which can be used to further their training or kick-start their career.
Now in its 29th year, the WA Training Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of apprentices, trainees, employers and training organisations in Western Australia.
Ms Ceretta was named WA International Student of the Year 2023. She studied her Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care at the Australian Institute of Workplace Training, having left her native Italy to fulfil a long held ambition which she first shared with her family at the age of six years old.
In accepting the award, she shared that studying for her dream job in Perth helped to change her life, and only six months after qualifying she has moved from being an educator to an assistant director at the service where she works.
Ms Morrison was named WA Trainee of the Year 2023, having been employed by Toodyay Early Learning Centre and studying with Central Regional TAFE.
While at school, she had been deeply affected by a trip to the Philippines where she had witnessed how different the lives of young people were and it inspired her to pursue her new career path.
Following her passion for working with children and advocating for children's rights, she applied for a three-month trial at Toodyay Early Learning Centre and after only four days in the role was offered a full time traineeship.
She now enjoys presenting at the TAFE where she once studied, to inspire future educators to the sector.
Central Regional TAFE was named as WA Large Training Provider of the Year 2023, and was among the five organisation winners that were recognised as industry leaders and important contributors to the skilling of WA's workforce.
Greater in area than the Northern Territory, Central Regional TAFE has the largest geographical footprint of all the TAFEs in Western Australia, encompassing 1.55 million square kilometres, or 58 per cent of Western Australia.
This footprint comes with some unique challenges in supporting students, staff and industry across a wide area of Western Australia, but also provides opportunities for a diverse set of training products to accommodate the distinctive geographical conditions associated with the central region of Western Australia.
Strong industry partnerships in the region have enabled the organisation to offer local, distinctive courses with over 9,000 students unlocking their learning potential in 2022.
The 2023 WA Training Awards were made possible thanks to continuing support from awards partner the State Training Board, principal sponsor MEGT, and sponsors Training Accreditation Council WA, Apprenticeship Support Australia powered by CCIWA, Construction Training Fund, Maxima, and the Electrical and Communications Association of Western Australia.
Learn more about the Awards here.
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