Hunter Valley Training Company’s (HVTC) first three employees will reunite tomorrow to open the company’s time capsule and add more items to mark the anniversary of the company’s first day of operations on June 22, 1981.
The three women all started in 1981. Kay Sharp AM was the organisation’s first employee and is still executive director. She was the general manager of the company for 22 years. Rae Black still works part time for HVTC as executive assistant to the chairman Hon. Milton Morris AO. Maureen Mulhearn was the third person to join HVTC. She worked for the company for 25 years.
An honour roll, uniforms, training modules and 30th anniversary paraphernalia are just some of the mementos of the past 10 years of HVTC’s operations that will be placed in the HVTC time capsule buried under the replica of the Steam Locomotive 3801 (The Newcastle Flyer) in the foyer of its head office.
The capsule was created as part of HVTC’s 20th anniversary. Past treasures include: a paymaster cheque ribbon writer used to print cheques from 1981 to 1987; an original Iron Rivet from "James Craig" 1874 iron barque, restored by apprentices; an apprentice honour roll; HVTC badges, stationery and reports; as well as 20th anniversary merchandise and books.
Mrs Sharp recalled her first day on the job. She started with a desk, a phone and 197 apprentices. Today HVTC is Australia's largest group apprentice and trainee organisation. It provides training to around 1200 people a year through 12 offices throughout NSW and Queensland as well as two Registered Training Organisations in Sydney and Maitland.
“We didn’t have position descriptions or titles back then because the three of us all got in and did whatever was required,” Mrs Sharp said.
The opening of the time capsule is one of a number of 30th anniversary commemorative events. Other events have included a gala dinner in Maitland on Saturday. HVTC has also awarded two apprentices a collective $20,000, two week, personal development trip to the United Kingdom. In partnership with Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets and BHP Billiton, HVTC provided unemployed men from the Cessnock area with a pre apprentice metal trades course which produced horse jumps for a Lake Macquarie pony club.