Posts Categorized: Award Winners

When Sarah graduated from school, she was convinced that one day she would work as a physiotherapist, but soon came to realise that she wasn’t enjoying it as much as she originally thought. So, Sarah decided to try a trade, and within 2 days of completing work experience, she was enrolled in a course on… Read more

Madison chose this traineeship because it seemed to have more variety and hopefully could lead to a better future.  Before undertaking the traineeship, she had limited options workwise and struggled to find work. Madison now feels confident about her job prospects. The impact of COVID and not being able to attend the workplace was a… Read more

As an apprentice plumber, Rodney’s first encounter with Barwon Water led him to realise that he wanted to work with them.  Sometime down the track, when a traineeship arose at the company, he jumped at the opportunity. With 7 years’ experience working in the plumbing industry, Rodney has been able to bring that skillset and… Read more

Bryce recently graduated as an Apprentice Fitter & Turner with his stream focusing on Fitting Machining. He chose an apprenticeship in engineering after realising in high school that general study was not the right fit for him. His apprenticeship has taught him to be proactive and his self-confidence has grown over time.  When Bryce started… Read more

Past experience in house painting was something Demita found enjoyable so when she saw a job ad for a spray-painting apprenticeship, it seemed like the right fit. Becoming an apprentice at 29 years of age is one of the best things that Demita has ever done!   In the workplace, Demita became aware of the… Read more

Gforce was founded as the Geelong and District Group Apprentices in 1983. It was established as a not-for-profit Group Training Organisation with an initial purpose to address youth unemployment in the northern suburbs of Geelong through the provision of apprenticeships.  In 1993, Vaz Juchima as the Managing Director of Danum Engineering, was invited to join… Read more

John decided to follow his passion for working outdoors, after a long career in retail. He wanted to achieve a higher level of education, as well as being able to study and work simultaneously. As a mature-age apprentice with previous workplace and customer service experience, John brought leadership and conflict resolution skills to his apprenticeship…. Read more

Katharine loves the environment and working outdoors, so she decided on a traineeship in arboriculture. She was the first female trainee hired in her place of work, Maroondah City Council. Katharine has been able to overcome experiences with members of the public, who, at times, view her as being incompetent because she is a woman…. Read more

Jack has wanted to become a builder his whole life and was determined to land an apprenticeship. Leaving school after Year 10, he found an apprenticeship in carpentry since he enjoyed woodwork in school. Unfortunately, Jack missed out on the opportunity to learn alongside a qualified builder as his employer was not readily available to… Read more