The Victorian Training Awards took place last Friday 24th August, and the winners of the Victorian Training Awards have been announced.

Winners have been selected across 13 categories for individuals, employers, training providers and industry collaboration:

Lynne Kosky Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement

Jennie Barrera

Jennie Barrera has a long established history as an inspirational leader and community advocate supporting the most vulnerable members of the community to establish education and training pathways into real jobs. Jennie is recognised as a leader in innovation among the Adult Community and Further Education Sector with her programs setting a quality benchmark for others to replicate across the state. Throughout her career Jennie has won multiple awards, including the Multicultural Award for Excellence in 2009, the Case Worker of the Year Award – Migration and Settlement in 2013, and the Learn Local Legend Award in 2015. She has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Wyndham Community & Education Centre since 2007 and was awarded Life Membership of the organisation in 2017.

Teacher/Trainer of the Year

Proudly supported by the VET Development Centre

Wendy Lever-Henderson

For Wendy Lever-Henderson, the teaching of certificates in community services and case management is as much about the student’s personal development as it is about their knowledge and skills.

For Wendy Lever-Henderson, the teaching of certificates in community services and case management is as much about the student’s personal development as it is about their knowledge and skills. Wendy is a senior educator. Many of her students have experienced life challenges.

To help them be job-ready, she makes decisions driven by their needs and perspectives. This might mean altering timetables to meet student requirements and introducing online and night classes. Wendy is passionate about developing and expanding community services and aims to inspire her students to have a positive impact on other people’s lives. Her flexible approach to learning has doubled diploma graduate numbers.

Vocational Student of the Year​

Proudly supported by TAFE Victoria

Elise Stewart

Elise Stewart demonstrates that having a disability shouldn’t prevent anyone from achieving their goals. Initially Elise was told she couldn’t become a nurse because she is profoundly deaf and could put patients at risk.

Through resilience and determination, she became the first deaf person to complete a Diploma of Nursing at Bendigo TAFE.

To accomplish this Elise accessed full-time interpreters, lobbied to have electronic materials subtitled, and worked with an audiologist to have equipment amplified so she could hear bodily sounds. Elise’s inspiring work helped to break down the communication barriers for teachers, peers and patients, and her current workplace now has deafness awareness training.