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.

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.

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.

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”.