20 September 2021
We have been recognised as the WA Large Training Provider of the Year at the WA Training Awards on Friday night, with four students also claiming top awards.
Now in its 27th year, WA’s biggest training awards recognise the outstanding achievements of apprentices, trainees, students and training organisations.
NMTAFE student Kevin Wilson was announced as the WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year, Johanna Faber was announced as the WA International Student of the Year, Courtney Short as the WA School-based Apprentice of the Year and Agnes Toluwade claimed the WA Cultural Diversity Training Award. NMTAFE also had an additional three students and one lecturer as finalists at the awards.
NMTAFE Managing Director, Michelle Hoad said it was an outstanding result for NMTAFE that reflected the quality of training our lecturers provide.
“To be recognised as the WA Large Training Provider of the Year is something we are extremely proud of,” she said.
“COVID-19 has presented some unique challenges over the past 12-months and our support staff and lecturers have worked hard to deliver the best education and experience possible to our students. To be recognised with this Award, despite the difficulties, is a testament to the incredible effort put in by our team.
“The achievements from our four winning students, as well as our additional student and staff finalists, is to be commended,” she said.
“Their dedication to their studies and work is outstanding. I can’t wait to see what each and every one of them achieves across their careers.
Graphic design student Kevin Wilson won the WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year category.
Kevin, a Wongi man, is a co-founder of graphic design company Nani Creative - which specialises in graphic design projects promoting Aboriginal tourism, culture, business and community initiatives.
“I am strong advocator for NMTAFE, it has helped me find my calling and set a direction for my life,” he said.
“I’ve been interested and inspired by art since I was a kid and fell into the world of graffiti as a teen. I thought it was the coolest thing seeing these people who knew nothing about composition, and colour theory, create these amazingly produced works.
“After a few years, and a few too many run-ins with the police, I decided that I couldn’t keep going down that path so I signed up at North Metropolitan TAFE, really finding my feet in the Diploma of Graphic Design.”
Winners
- North Metropolitan TAFE - WA Large Training Provider of the Year 2021
- Kevin Wilson (Victoria Park) - WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year 2021
- Johanna Faber (Yokine) - WA International Student of the Year 2021
- Courtney Short (Ellenbrook) - WA School-based Apprentice of the Year 2021
- Agnes Toluwade (Leeming) - WA Cultural Diversity Training Award 2021
Kevin Wilson WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year 2021
Kevin Wilson is a Wongi man from the Goldfields region of Western Australia and a co-founder of Nani Creative, a graphic design partnership specialising in design for projects promoting Aboriginal tourism, culture, business and community initiatives.
Kevin has always been inspired by art and as a teenager was drawn to doing graffiti. He decided to enrol in a TAFE course where he found his passion for Graphic Design.
Kevin says the lecturers at NMTAFE changed his life.
Johanna Faber WA International Student of the Year 2021
Johanna Faber’s passion for travelling brought her to Australia from Germany in 2017.
After falling in love with the country, she decided she wanted a career in travel and tourism, enrolling in a Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management at NMTAFE.
Studying allowed Johanna to gain confidence communicating in English, while learning the many facets of the industry, and get a job as a travel consultant. While COVID-19 forced the closure of the office, it has not deterred Johanna from working in the domestic travel side of the industry.
Courtney Short WA School-based Apprentice of the Year 2021
Courtney Short chose to pursue her love for cooking and commenced a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at NMTAFE while in Year 11.
Courtney chose to study Commercial Cookery, as from a young age she loved being in the kitchen - if she wasn’t cooking, she was watching her Mum in the kitchen, and shared a passion for creating meals with her Nan.
Throughout high school she had assumed that she would complete her ATAR. However at a Year 10 Information Night she heard about the success of a Year 12 student who was completing a school-based apprenticeship and changed her goals.
Courtney could not be happier with the decision she made to pursue a VET pathway.
Agnes (Remi) Toluwade WA Cultural Diversity Training Award 2021
Agnes (Remi) Toluwade migrated to Australia in 2015 from Nigeria and settled into Perth with her family and three teenage sons.
Remi has a first degree in Statistics and an MBA and worked in the finance sector prior to her migration.
Hearing news of a teenager’s suicide, she was prompted towards the mental health sector and looked for an opportunity to volunteer as a mentor in the high school.
From moving into chaplaincy, Remi realised there were different aspects to mental health issues within the Australian community, in particularly in the migrant community.
After completing her Certificate IV in Mental Health from NMTAFE, Remi aims to use her newly acquired skills to inspire friends in her community to maintain their mental health.
Finalists
- Keira Gentle - WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year 2021
- Brendan Hibbert - WA Trainer of the Year 2021
- Maxine Turner - WA Vocational Student of the Year 2021
- Hayden Carvell - WA Apprentice of the Year 2021
About the WA Training Awards
Now in its 27th year, the awards recognise the outstanding achievements of apprentices, trainees, students and training organisations.
Individual winners of each category will receive $3000 towards either further training or to kick-start their career, while organisation winners will be recognised as industry leaders.
Winners were announced at a presentation ceremony on 17 September 2021 at Crown Ballrooms.
The winner may go on to represent the State at the Australian Training Awards in November.
Photographs
- General Manager of Training Services, Julie Zappa; Managing Director, Michelle Hoad and Minister for Education and Training, Hon Sue Ellery.
- General Manager of Training Services, Julie Zappa with Managing Director, Michelle Hoad
- School-based Apprentice of the Year School-based Apprentice of the Year - Courtney Short
- International Student of the Year - Johanna Faber
- Cultural Diversity Student of the Year - Agnes (Remi) Toluwade
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year - Kevin Wilson