Southern Tablelands Group Training (STGT) apprentice and Jamberoo resident Keiran Brooke-Smith has taken out top honours at the Illawarra and South East NSW Region Training Awards held in Wollongong on June 24.
The 21 year old has completed a Cert III in Engineering Mechanical through STGT while working with host employer Joy Mining Machinery in Unanderra. Mr Brooke-Smith is now a finalist in the NSW State Training Awards to be held in Sydney on September 15.
Another STGT apprentice, Jed Hilmi, took out the Cert III in Furniture Making (cabinetmaking) Apprentice of the Year Award. The 23 year old lives in Berrima. His host employer is Mittagong based Elouera Woodworks.
STGT manager John Rawle congratulated Keiran and Jed on their awards. Mr Rawle said STGT apprentices were successful because they receive excellent training, productive work experience from quality host employers as well as extensive mentoring from STGT staff.
Established in 2005, STGT provides apprenticeships and traineeships to local people in Goulburn, Crookwell, Braidwood, Queanbeyan, Canberra, Yass, and the Southern Highlands from its Goulburn office.
STGT is a division of HVTC, Australia’s largest and oldest Group Training Organisation. HVTC is this month celebrating that it has provided training to more than 18,000 apprentices and trainees in its 30 years of operation. It boasts apprenticeship completion rates of 85%, well above the industry average of 50%.