Congratulations to all 27 winners from Kangan Institute’s 2016 Apprentice and Industry Awards held on Thursday 21 April.
Held at Kangan Institute’s Automotive Centre of Excellence in Docklands, the ceremony recognised the achievements of talented students across various trades, including carpentry, electrical, engineering, horticulture, hospitality, hairdressing and automotive. More than 300 guests, employers and industry representatives were part of the celebration.
In his opening address, Kangan Institute’s CEO Trevor Schwenke congratulated the award winners and highlighted the important role education plays in helping people build a bright future.
“When we think about education, we tend to think about classrooms, assignments, studies and exams, said Mr Schwenke.
“But teaching is really about the future. It’s about helping people prepare themselves for the rest of their lives.
“The work we do is about helping young students get their adult life off to a positive start. And about helping older students maintain relevant skills or change the course of their lives through a new career.
“This belief in the power of education forms part of everything we do. We believe our purpose – the reason we exist – is to empower people and industry with the skills to create a bright future.”
Mr Schwenke also acknowledged the many people who work hard to make these positive education outcomes possible.
“In the one room, we have successful students, who’ve done the hard yards and are now ready to step into the future.
“We have business and community leaders who willingly invest in education because they understand the importance of people.
“And, of course, we have the teachers and administrators who work hard day in, day out, to make these bright futures possible.”
List of awards and winners:
Apprentice of the Year: Carpentry – Billy Kyriakoulos
Sponsored by AEG Powertools
Apprentice of the Year: Electrical – Damiano Morganello
Sponsored by Energy Safe Victoria
Apprentice of the Year: Engineering – James Meilak
Sponsored by Kangan Institute
Apprentice of the Year: Landscape Construction – Paul Betts
Sponsored by Plantmark
Apprentice of the Year: Parks and Gardens – Jamie Freeman
Sponsored by Plantmark
Student of the Year: Horticulture – Haleakola Naleo Ohawaii (Hully) Te Huia
Sponsored by Plantmark
Apprentice of the Year: Retail Bakery – Nicole Marie Adams
Sponsored by Australian Bakery and Pizza
Apprentice of the Year: Commercial Cookery – Brad Sutton
Sponsored by Hudsons Pacific
Apprentice of the Year: Hairdressing – Paige Dummett
Sponsored by Shear Genius Scissorsmiths
AR Jackson Award – Jordan Bevacqua
Sponsored by Rotary Club of Coburg
Apprentice of the Year: Motorcycle – Dean Farrugia
Sponsored by Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd
Apprentice of the Year: Heavy Vehicle – David Mitchell
Sponsored by SP Tools and Holden Racing Team
Sir Henry Royce Foundation Award for Excellence – Rhys Attwood
Sponsored by the Sir Henry Royce Foundation
Lionel Gell School of Instruction Award in Automotive – Jeremy Franciosa
Sponsored by Lionell Gell
Automotive Electrical Achievement Award – Ryan Trifunov
Sponsored by Training Systems Australia
Apprentice of the Year: Automotive Electrical – Franco Lam
Sponsored by Ashdown Ingram
Pre-Apprentice of the Year award – Raed Esho
Sponsored by Rotary Club of Albert Park
Apprentice of the Year: Vehicle Paint Technology – James Grant
Sponsored by PPG Industries
Trainee of the Year: Automotive – Daniel Domine
Sponsored by Ashdown Ingram
Student of the Year: Motorsports – George Anastasopoulos and Thomas Inkster
Sponsored by Nissan Motorsport
Student of the Year: Auto Parts Interpreting – Jonathan Macfarlaine
Sponsored by Ashdown Ingram
Automotive Key Client of the Year – Timothy Honey
Sponsored by WPC Group
Apprentice of the Year: Body Repair Technology – Dalton Baines
Sponsored by Car-O-Liner
Han Michel Award – Bernard Williams
Sponsored by Society of Plastic Engineers
Adult Learner of the Year: Automotive – Graeme Le Lievre
Sponsored by VACC
Overall Apprentice of the Year: Automotive – Ashlee Poole
Sponsored by SP Tools
