The 2011 WORKCO Awards presentation night will be held on Friday 14th October. The Awards are an opportunity for WORKCO to recognise the individual skills, achievement and job-related knowledge of apprentices and trainees employed through its Group Training Department, in businesses across the region. The Awards also recognise the contribution of businesses and schools in up-skilling young people through the School-based Apprenticeships program.

Over 50 nominations were received and the judges have now selected the finalists in each category.

All nominees and their host employers have been invited to the presentation night where the Award winners will be announced.

Olympian and sports presenter Duncan Armstrong will be guest speaker at the Awards. Mr Armstrong won a gold medal in the Men’s 200 Meters Freestyle and a silver medal in the Men’s 400 Metres Freestyle at the Olympic Games in Seoul Korea. His success in the pool also included two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. In 1989 he was awarded the Order of Australia medal.

Since retiring from the pool, Mr Armstrong has enjoyed a career in the media and corporate coaching, providing inspiration to people of all ages and professions to strive to achieve their own personal and corporate success.

WORKCO general manager Dean Luciani said “We are delighted to have Duncan Armstrong’s involvement for the Awards presentation night. He is a very interesting speaker and we were fortunate to secure his involvement through the generous sponsorship of Telstra”.

The 2011 WORKCO Awards are generously sponsored by Ace Radio, Telstra, Wimmera Mail-Times, Wimmera Development Association, Australian Super, Horsham Rural City Council, Marsh Insurance Brokers, McDonalds, and WorkSight.

WORKCO Limited is assisting the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) to bring the Company Directors Course ‘Establishing Director Knowledge’ to the Wimmera.

The Company Directors Course has been designed to provide participants with a practical overview of a director’s duties and responsibilities. Developed and facilitated by directors for directors, the course content includes what it takes to contribute to organisation governance while developing individual’s directorship skills. Undertaking the course will also allow participants an excellent networking opportunity with other business and community leaders in the local and surrounding regions.

The course will be held at the new WORKCO Limited head office in Dimboola Road Horsham, being held over 5 consecutive Mondays, commencing on Monday 14th November and concluding on 12th December 2011.

The course outline comprises 10 modules:
1. The Role of the Board and the Practice of Directorship
2. Directors’ Duties and Responsibilities
3. Risk: Issues for Boards
4. Strategy: The Board’s Role
5. Financial Literacy for Directors
6. Driving Financial Performance
7. The Board’s Legal Environment
8. Decision Making
9. Achieving Board Effectiveness
10. Learning into Practice

Numbers for the 2011 class intake are strictly limited. For further information on the course or to register, please contact John Ackland or Kylie Pickering on (03) 5381 6200.

Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders brings together 21 of the group training network’s best and brightest apprentices and trainees for an intensive five day career and leadership development program at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Developing the skilled leaders Australia needs for the future remains a key priority and this program has been providing self and career management skills to these future leaders since 2004.

WORKCO Limited’s apprentice Nigel Rogers has been successful in his application to participate in this this once in a life time opportunity.

Nigel commenced his first apprenticeship (Certificate III Automotive Repair Services & Retail -auto body refinishing) in 2002. Since completing this certificate Nigel has commenced a mature aged apprenticeship - Certificate III in Automotive Mechanical Technology, Automotive Mechanic Agriculture with WORKCO Limited being hosted out to JJ O’Connor & Sons Pty Ltd in July 2009.

WORKCO Limited’s General Manager Dean Luciani has said “Its tremendous to see the advancement of local skilled trades people developing into leaders within our community”

The Victorian Training Awards is the premier event on the Victorian vocational education and training calendar. Now in its 57th year, the Victorian Training Awards rewards outstanding achievement and innovation.
This year has seen the seen the introduction of the Victorian Employer Award for Apprentice Development. This will be presented to an employer for demonstrating innovation and excellence in the implementation of initiatives that enrich and extend the development of apprentices beyond their formal training.
The finalists have now been announced with WORKCO Limited being shortlisted.
WORKCO Limited’s General Manager Dean Luciani is delighted that Skills Victoria has recognised the contributions that WORKCO Limited is making towards Apprentices and Trainees right down to Primary School Students through our Primary Technical Skills Program.

Jacob Pitman is just one example of how WORKCO limited goes above and beyond with the apprenticeship program. Jacob has recently been awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Australian Overseas Foundation & Master Builders Association of Victoria.

A ground-breaking Victorian school program which allows primary students to engage in a hands-on learning curriculum has been awarded the 2011 Group Training Australia (GTA) Partnership Award.

The GTA Partnership Award was announced today at the Career Development Association of Australia Conference in Cairns. The award recognises and promotes effective and innovative collaboration between one or more schools and a group training organisation.

The winning program, the ‘Primary Technical Schools Program’, involves a partnership between group training organisation, WORKCO, and Horsham Primary School.

The program gives students in Grades 5 and 6 the opportunity to improve their basic skills by adding practical experience in technical and trade-based areas into the school curriculum. It engages the students with hands-on learning, visiting guest speakers, and industry tours.

The program was designed to improve the retention rates, literacy & numeracy skills, and future aspirations of students from a low socio-economic area with a significant Indigenous population.

Horsham Primary School has seen vast improvements from students, particularly in school attendance, as well as increased social skills, co-operation and team work.

Following a successful pilot program in 2010, the program is now a key part of the school’s strategic goals, curriculum and timetabling.

Group Training Australia CEO, Jim Barron, said the program gives students a taste of the trade careers available to them later in life, while allowing them to continue to improve their basic skills in a fun and practical way.

“This is a pioneering program that will pave the way for more hands-on learning within schools, and will no doubt assist students to determine the right career pathway for their future.”

Horsham Primary School Leading Teacher, Keryn Ackland, said the program opens the minds of the students, and allows them to understand and explore several careers early in their schooling.

“Children’s early experiences influence their later life chances. Career education needs to begin in primary school. We need to raise expectations, broaden horizons and develop self-belief that anything is possible,” she said.

Established in 1986, WORKCO Limited is the largest provider of employment and training services in the Wimmera and Grampians region. WORKCO Limited has 5 offices within country Victoria including Horsham, Ararat, Stawell, Ballarat and Donald, indicative of our commitment to local regions.
After serving the community for 23 years, WORKCO Limited’s head Office in Horsham has made the big move to their new Office in Dimboola Road. Committed to the local region, the team will continue to invest in the future of the community through the construction of their new office.
The suite of services offered by WORKCO Limited includes Apprenticeships, Traineeships, Recruitment, Personnel Hire, Training and an Australian Apprenticeships Centre.
Now is the time to see what’s on offer for your business, come and see us at 15-17 Dimboola Road, Horsham!

Horsham’s Jamie Young has upstaged some of the most promising furniture making apprentices in the state to claim a prestigious Victorian Furnishing Industry Training Award. Jamie prepared an outstanding Red Gum chair made from sleepers to claim the best piece for Certificate II in Furniture Making.
Employed under the Workco Group Training scheme, Jamie was nominated by Phil Pringle of Kanga Batman TAFE, Melbourne, as reward for his hard work and dedication to the furniture-making industry.
Jamie admitted he was surprised to claim the award against such great opposition, but was delighted with the recognition. “There was some great works submitted for the award so I didn’t expect to win.” He said “Just to be nominated for the award was a great privilege but to actually win was an unexpected bonus.”
Workco Group Training Field Officer Chris Perry said the win was well deserved for an ‘outstanding hard working apprentice’, “Jamie is an outstanding apprentice. He works really hard and strives to better himself all the time,” He said. “He is a great role model for young people who are considering an apprenticeship-traineeship and it just shows what can be achieved if you work hard and want to achieve good results.”

Nuseed Horsham employee Amy Hately is on her way to Queensland to compete in the World Skills Australia national competition at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition centre this weekend.
Amy is completing a Certificate IV in Business Administration through WORKCO Limited and has impressed trainers with her speed and accuracy. She won a gold medal in the regional event last year and is the only Wimmera representative in the Ballarat-Wimmera team.
If successful, Amy will represent Australia in London next year.

The Group Training National Training Awards were held at the Hilton Hotel, Adelaide on Friday 16th April 2010. WORKCO Limited was fortunate to have two of our apprentices; Tyson Hawker and Alyssia Gersch make it through to the finals. Tyson was one of 5 nominees in the Group Training Australian Apprentice of the Year – School Based category and Alyssia was one of 6 in the Group Training Australian Apprentice of the Year – Apprentice category.
There was some trepidation and certainly nervousness by all when Tyson was called to the stage with the other finalists, however that nervousness soon became elation when it was announced the Group Training Australian School Based Apprentice of the year was Tyson Hawker.
“I had no idea I would win, I was happy enough to be nominated and went along on the night not really planning anything and then they called out my name.” Tyson received a plaque and $1500 prize money.
Our commiserations go to Alyssia, who whilst she did not win the Apprentice of the Year, should be justly proud of her achievements to make it to the National finals.

TYSON HAWKER:

“I would encourage others to take on a school-based apprenticeship as it is an excellent way to remain at school and also gain skills and qualifications in industry.”

Tyson’s farming background has influenced his decision to pursue a career in Agriculture. Tyson commenced a school-based apprenticeship at 15 years of age. A 280 km return trip from home to Longerenong College meant that Tyson lived off campus boarding with a Workco staff member for the first year of his training.
Tyson completed both certificates II and III in Agriculture whilst undertaking years 10 and 11. He then combined his VCE studies with a certificate IV which is usually undertaken as full-time study or within a full time Apprenticeship. Tyson display a maturity beyond his years and was nominated as Senior School Captain and House Captain in 2008 & 2009.
Tyson works on the family farm as well as seasonal stints on neighbouring farms and the knowledge and skills he has gained have enabled him to take on additional responsibility and decision making. Tyson would like to gain more experience working on larger farming operations before then exploring the business Management functions.

ALYSSIA GERSCH:

“It is fantastic to get paid to learn and be able to put everything into practice straight away. The combination of working in the trade and attending trade school is the perfect training mix.”

Alyssia’s employers have commended her attitude and application to her studies and her ambition to learn every aspect of the hospitality business.
She won a bronze medal in the Victorian Commercial Cookery State Awards. She has also recently been promoted to 2nd chef which is acknowledgement of her capability to run her employer’s kitchen by herself if needed. Alyssia constantly creates new dishes for the menu and actively seeks feedback to make improvements to her dishes and presentation. She has also gained a loyal clientele.
Her dream is to own and operate a fine dining restaurant, but not before spending a year in a city restaurant and traveling and working overseas. Her short-term goal is to enroll in a business management/hospitality Course.

Group Training Australia employs over 40,000 apprentices and trainees through out Australia, on Friday 16th April 2010 at the Adelaide Hilton they will be hosting a presentation dinner, with Group Training’s peak apprentices, trainees, organisations and Host employers.
WORKCO Limited would like to congratulate Alyssia Gersh and Tyson Hawker in being nominated for this prestigious evening.

Alyssia’s employers have commended her attitude and application to her studies and her ambition to learn every aspect of the hospitality business.
Earlier this year Alyssia was selected along with 5 others to attend the Today’s Skills, Tomorrow’s Leaders campaign in Canberra, it was from this that Alyssia was selected for the National Group Training Awards. She won a bronze medal in the Victorian Commercial Cookery State Awards. She has also recently been promoted to 2nd chef which is acknowledgment of her capability to run her employer’s kitchen by herself if needed. Alyssia constantly creates new dishes for the menu and actively seeks feedback to make improvements to her dishes and presentation. She has also gained a loyal clientele.
Her dream is to own and operate a fine dining restaurant, but not before spending a year in a city restaurant and travelling and working overseas. Her short-term goal is to enrol in a business management/hospitality course.
She says, “It is fantastic to get paid to learn and be able to put everything into practice straight away. The combination of working in the trade and attending trade school is the perfect training mix.”

Tyson commenced his Australian School Based Apprenticeship at the Age of 15 and is currently studying certificate IV after successfully completing Certificate II and III in Agriculture. Tyson is the only student from his region that has made the commitment to undertaking VCE as well as completing the Certificate IV, which is quite an achievement on its own.Tyson is an ambassador for youth and agriculture in the region and appreciative of the opportunities his School Based Apprenticeship has given him. He is very grateful to the Group Training model as he would not have been able to commence as a 15 year old without the support with accommodation and travel from Workco. Tyson’s performance on the job and at trade school have been consistently high, with his willingness to learn and to take on challenges shining through.
Tyson would encourage others to take on a School Based Apprenticeship as it is an excellent way to remain at school and also gain skills and qualifications in industry. He said if the opportunity to complete a School Based Apprenticeship was not available he may have not gone ahead to complete his VCE.

The WORKCO Limited Awards is a gala event that has been held since 1999. The Awards recognise the achievements and skills of WORKCO Limited’s apprentices and trainees as well as providing kudos to the host employers.

The presence of apprentices, trainees and their host employers at this year’s event that was held on Friday 13 November at Longerenong College was a reflection of the magnitude of the skills in our region.

WORKCO Limited General Manager Dean Luciani said the evening was a great night that celebrated the skills and achievements of the regions apprentices and trainees.

“This year there was an outstanding response,” Mr Luciani said.

“Over 60 nominations were received overall and this simply emphasizes how skilled our young people are, the willingness of employers to recognise these skills.

Mr Luciani said that the host employers should be congratulated for taking the time to nominate the apprentices and trainees.

One of the highlights of the WORKCO Limited Awards was inspirational guest speaker and world champion cyclist Shane Kelly.

We have been fortunate to have a guest speaker of Shane Kellys calibre and I’m sure that Shanes story and successes will inspire these many young people to realize their own potential.


“All WORKCO Limited apprentices and trainees should be proud of their efforts and achievements and continue to grow under the guidance of their skilled host employers,” Mr Luciani said.

Mr Luciani said that the evening was a testament to the skills in our region.

All minor category runners up and winners on the evening received a trophy and major category award winners of the event received a trophy and Cheque to the value of $500.

Melissa Hoffmann – Best Trainee Certificate II & III
Melissa commenced her Business Traineeship in May 2008 with Capitis Accounting Solutions in Horsham and completed her traineeship in October 2009. Over that time Melissa developed a fantastic sense of pride in her work and also promotes the business outside of the workplace to other members of the local community. Melissa’s bubbly personality and ability to remain positive under pressure has made her an integral part of the Capitis Team.

Natasha Meade – Best Trainee Certificate IV and above
Natasha commenced the Diploma in Children’s Services Traineeship in May 2008 and is hosted by Northern Grampians Shire Council at the St. Arnaud Children’s Centre. Natasha was given a high level of responsibility basically from day one and has developed her skills to a level beyond her time in the industry. As well as her excellent rapport with young children and their families, Natasha is also very involved in some of the more complex elements of the business and has demonstrated a great understanding in this area.

Zoe McKinnis – Best 1st Year Apprentice
Zoe commenced her Hairdressing Apprenticeship in January 2009 at Areea Hair Design in Ararat after doing work placement over the 2008 school year. Since commencing Zoe has built her own clientele who have been impressed with her outgoing personality, ability to make people feel special and her natural flair for the trade. Zoe has shown a mature approach to her job and training well above the expectations of a 16 year old.

Jack Durie – Best 2nd Year Apprentice
Jack started his apprenticeship with Michaels of Donald as an Automotive Mechanic specialising in Agricultural Machinery in January 2008. Jack’s skill level has developed at an outstanding rate and now provides technical solutions to some very complex situations without the need for direction. His understanding of the technical elements of the trade was rated 10 out of 10 by his supervisor. Jack has also demonstrated leadership skills and a proactive approach to safety which makes him an important member of the Michael’s team.

Matthew Coustley – Best 3rd Year Apprentice
Matthew commenced his Electrotechnology Apprenticeship in November 2006 and is hosted by Cec Hopper & Sons in Horsham. Matthew has shown a drive to succeed in his trade and as a result is now working in the Technical Division of the organisation considered to be the most complex area. This is something well above the expectations of an apprentice and highlights Matthew’s skill level and first class attitude.

Dwayne Andrews – Best 4th Year Apprentice
Dwayne completed his Automotive Light Vehicle apprenticeship in December 2008 hosted by Ballarat Off Road. Throughout his apprenticeship Dwayne demonstrated a loyal and proactive approach to his work. He is meticulous in his workmanship and has built an excellent knowledge of the Automotive Industry through his desire to learn from other tradesmen. He displays an easy going, positive attitude and is an extremely valuable member of the Ballarat Off Road team.

Keith McLaine – Best 4th Year Apprentice
Keith completed his apprenticeship with Warners Service Station in Dimboola in February 2008. Over the time in his apprenticeship Keith developed a sense of ownership in his employers business by encouraging friends and family to bring their business to him. Keith has pursued many training opportunities available and has built a fantastic skill base to further enhance his trade qualification. Keith has a love for the motor trade and this is demonstrated in his approach to his work and his passion for learning all he can.

Reece Carroll – Best School Based Apprentice or Trainee
Reece started his School Based Business Administration Traineeship in January 2008 as he commenced VCE Year 11. He will complete the Certificate 3 shortly. Over the past 2 years Reece has worked across most areas of the Loddon Shire Council’s Wedderburn Office and has developed an identity of a ‘jack of all trades’. Reece’s professional presentation, positive outlook and dedication to all aspects of his life has also been recognised with him winning local community and business awards recently.

Vicki Smithyman – Trainee of the Year
Vicki has excelled in her Integration Aide Traineeship position at the Dimboola Memorial College since commencing in February 2009. Vicki’s expectations of herself and her work performance are very high and she takes immense pride in achieving the best outcome. As a role model for the students Vicki conducts herself respectfully and provides motivation for them to succeed. Her level of responsibility has grown to exceed that of a trainee and is seen as an integral part of the school community.

Shaun Day – Apprentice of the Year
Shaun commenced his Electrotechnology Apprenticeship with Cec Hopper & Sons in August 2007 and has developed into an outstanding employee. His maturity and ability to accept responsibility for much higher level functions has made him an extremely popular and valuable part of the Hoppers team. Shaun’s advanced technical skills have been recognised with him being judged Best 1st and 2nd year and Apprentice of the Year at trade school. His industry knowledge is rated clearly above his stage of his apprenticeship and with his first class quality of work Shaun is building a career which will know no boundaries.

WORKCO Limited CEO John Ackland has been awarded a fellowship of the Group Training Association of Victoria.

The Nomination highlights John’s significant contribution to the development and performance of Group Training in Victoria in at least three areas of operations, local, state and national.

At the local level John is the inaugural Manager of WORKCO Limited (originally Wimmera Grampians Group Training). He has directed and grown the company from a single employee entity to an organisation which employs some 500 employees (staff/apprentices/trainees) in the Wimmera/Grampian/Mallee regions engaging in multiple activities including recruitment, placement, labour hire, training and business development.

At a statewide level John was an inaugural member of the Group Training Association of Victoria and is one of the longest serving Board Members of the Association.

At a national level John has served several terms as the Victorian representative to the Board of the National Association.

John’s dedication and contribution working with schools and promoting VET into schools both personally himself and through the participation of his staff sees WORKCO Limited as a leader of the VETis movement in regional schools both through promotion and provision of training and work experience placements.

In 2003, Longerenong College, a local agricultural college, was faced with an uncertain future when the University of Melbourne re-evaluated its presence in regional Victoria. Demonstrating John’s belief in the VET system and comprehensive negotiations between the University, State Government and the organizations board, Longerenong College now operates under the auspice of WORKCO Limited delivering VET programs on their 1058 ha property/campus.

Johns attention to persistence, significant elements of skill, understanding of people and belief in the purpose – ie “training young people and getting them a job” supports his strong belief that “at the end of the day everything we do is to help in the employment and training of apprentices and trainees”.

Group Training Innovation Program – “Skills for the Caravan Building Industry”
Proposal to increase the numbers of full time apprentices and introduce the School Based Apprenticeship Program in the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Industry (RVMI) in the Northern and North Western region of Melbourne.