SWTAFE’s graduating students celebrated
More than 400 people attended the ceremony at the Lighthouse Theatre to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of more than 100 graduating diploma students from the areas of accounting, beauty therapy, community services, conservation and land management, nursing, remedial massage, early childhood education and care, travel and tourism management and visual arts.
South West TAFE CEO Mark Fidge said the awards night was a fantastic opportunity to recognise the success of our students.
He said this was one of the largest groups of graduating students he had seen which was particularly pleasing.
The night also included the presentation of the 2021 Outstanding Student Awards.
Mr Fidge said these students were nominated by their teachers and then interviewed by a panel to decide winners across four categories.
“It is such a huge accomplishment for these students who have all excelled in their studies and have all gone on to be working in their fields and doing amazing things in the community,” he said.
Award winners on the night included:
- Vocational Student of the Year: Caitlin Cook (Nursing, Warrnambool)
- Apprentice of the Year: Joshua Reynolds (Mechanical Engineering, Portland)
- Koorie Student of the Year: Gordon Slade (Tourism, Portland)
- Trainee of the Year: Jesse Beavis (Individual Support, Portland)
A Deakin University Pathways Award was also presented and won by Community Services student Tanya Weathers.
Mr Fidge said it was wonderful to hear so many of our graduating students now in employment in their chosen fields or going on to further study.
“It’s great that South West TAFE can play a part in changing people’s lives and leading them on to further study or employment,” he said.
