LAST week, Bulahdelah Central School nominated one of their Year 12 students, Liberty Higgins, for the 2006 NSW Training Awards, in the category of "Trainee of the Year".
They also nominated the Great Lakes Nursing Home as "NSW Large Training Provider of the Year" for their commitment not just to the school through programs such as traineeships, but also to their whole staff, who benefit greatly from their management's commitment to training and development on all levels.
The NSW Training Awards are an annual event conducted by the NSW Department of Education and Training. The awards highlight the depth and diversity of talent and skill that exist in our state.
Over the years the awards have grown in stature. Whereas the awards were once restricted to acknowledging apprentices' achievements, they now also acknowledge the outstanding achievements of trainees, students, employers, registered training organisations and teachers within the vocational education and training sector.
The principal sponsors of the awards are DETNAC (Department of Education and Training New Apprentice Centres) and Australian Business Limited New Apprenticeships Centre.
"This is the first time in a long time that we have nominated anyone for these awards at BCS," said Bulahdelah Central School's Career Advisor, Liana Leigo.
"As far as I know, Liberty Higgins is the only student in the whole of the North Coast Region that has been nominated for the student award of Trainee of the Year," she said.
"To enter, you need to meet certain eligibility requirements and we believe Liberty has everything they are looking for in a candidate," added Ms Leigo.
Liberty is currently completing her HSC at Bulahdelah Central School, as well as partaking in a traineeship through the local Caltex Service Station as part of her hospitality training, as she would like to become a chef. She started her traineeship with Caltex at the beginning of Year 11.
"Liberty actively sought out Caltex for a traineeship, and on top of her senior studies she also does her training, which takes up a minimum of 12 hours per week," explained Ms Leigo.
"Traineeships are usually 1600 hours of training plus work placement," she said.
"We have also nominated the Great Lakes Nursing Home in the NSW Training Awards, as for the past three years they have been more than happy to take trainees for us who have an interest in aged care, and our students have gone really well," added Ms Leigo.
"Great Lakes Nursing Home also help out by taking on not only our trainees, but casual workers in the area too.
"We like to showcase them in the area as they are such a fantastic facility with over 75 caring staff members, and we would like to get more people interested in working in aged care," she said.
Winners in all categories will be announced at the NSW Training Awards Presentation Dinner on September 7 2006.
This year's gala presentation night will be held at the Ballroom, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.
"Applications for the nominations closed on May 11, and we should hear within two weeks if our two nominees have made it to the regional round. Then it goes to state, then national," explained Ms Leigo.
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