Thirteen of Blacktown Regions' most talented students received awards for excellence in the workplace last night. Tamarah Bradley of Wyndham College was named VET Student of the Year, an awards program set up by BREED, the leading employment and career pathways organisation in the region. Other award categories included: Outstanding Work Placement, School Based Trainee, School Based Apprentice and Participants in the Digital Enterprise Project. 

The Awards Dinner, now in its 11th year, took place at the Blacktown City Council’s Nirimba Room and guests included Parents, School Principals, Education, Community and Industry Leaders. The students were nominated by their respective employers for displaying excellence while undertaking their work assignments. This year included awards for Ben Fulwood and Harmony Trotman, two outstanding students of the Digital Enterprise Project, a research project aimed to create pathways to Education and Employment for Young People with Disabilities.

The Awards program also acknowledges Outstanding Employers who provide the work placement positions to the over 4,500 students through-out the year. The Employers are nominated by students, schools and the Blacktown community. The 9 employers receiving awards included: Cumberland Ford, Busways, T & T Built in Wardrobes, Cleanaway, Panarottis Blacktown, Australian PC Distributors, Ability Options Wholesale Nursery, Trade Secret Mt Druitt and Alpha Hotel Eastern Creek.

‘It is important that the Blacktown Region community acknowledges exceptional students for their achievements and encourage them to further strive in their next stage of studies, or career.’ said the Chairperson of BREED, Ms Berice Miller. ‘The work placements are a Partnership between students and the employers and both benefit from such a partnership. Students have the opportunity to experience the world of work. While the employers have the opportunity to identify potential talented employees and give their staff the experience of supervising and mentoring as well as supporting our next generation of employees and business people’.

The Students BREED places in Industry come from 25 High Schools, TAFE WSI and Trade Schools. The student’s courses cover vocational frameworks, each requiring a mandatory work placement component for their HSC studies. Frameworks include: Business Services, Construction, Entertainment, Primary Industries, Information Digital Technology, Metals and Engineering, Retail, Hospitality, Tourism and Events and Automotive.

BREED programs are assisted by funding from the NSW Government and University of SA. For more information about the 2015 Awards, Winners and BREED please contact:

Stephen Frost 

P: 9853 3200 

or visit www.breed.org.au.