This award is presented to an individual who is undertaking a traineeship and has been outstanding in all aspects of their training.
Meet the finalists in the Trainee of the Year category for the 2024 South Australian Training Awards – what a trailblazing group of individuals!
Proudly sponsored by Apprenticeship Support Australia
Amara’s career in local government started with the City of Marion Gap Year Program 2023, which allowed her to gain work experience and knowledge of various council departments, including community work and open-space operations. Through all her placements one factor stood out the most for Amara, and that was the people.
Amara discovered that human resources was an area well-suited to her values, goals, and skills; she is grateful for the opportunity to work and study in this field.
The opportunity to learn and work on the job is invaluable for Amara who has also thrived in the online learning space.
She is honoured to contribute to the City of Burnside while being supported by a team that continually empowers her to achieve.
Through her Certificate IV in Human Resource Management traineeship, Amara has begun her journey to become a qualified and experienced HR professional.
Mining is a challenging industry, especially for young women, but it also rewards hard work and ingenuity. As a proud Indigenous woman, Georgia has created her own opportunities through effort, commitment, and resilience, and is now a Delivery Specialist in the Projects Team at BHP.
The Certificate IV in Project Management Practice traineeship helped to build Georgia’s confidence as her competency in managing tasks, leading teams, and delivering outcomes within set parameters grew. It also enhanced her problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills, and capacity to work under pressure.
Her traineeship has been a stepping stone to greater professional achievement; with improved practical skills, Georgia can make a more meaningful contribution to her team and feel better valued.
Georgia is looking forward to working with the BHP Asset Training Team to promote the traineeship program, and mentor and assist the next cohort of trainees to experience the same opportunity she has enjoyed.
Having completed a Certificate III in Telecommunications Technology, Lili is now a telecommunications rigger, working at height to build and repair Australia’s mobile network.
During her traineeship Lili attended workshops around Australia and worked alongside industry professionals at Telstra, where she secured her current position.
Believing women could work in traditionally male-dominated sectors, Lili left beauty therapy to pursue a ‘blue-collar’ trade; she wanted to make a difference as a young female in the industry and chose this path to contribute to maintaining essential daily services the nation relies on.
Climbing tall towers and dodging crocodiles as part of the job, Lili naturally has a focus on safety, such as the need to adapt PPE to suit women; she also represents women in high-risk fields through Telstra’s social media.
Having transcended traditional roles through focused effort, Lili demonstrates for young Australians the determination to pursue what they want to achieve.
Sam, a grounds person at Adelaide Oval, recently completed his Certificate III in Sports Turf Management.
Always having a strong passion for sport, especially cricket, Sam became interested in gardening during the pandemic. A day at the Adelaide Test cemented his dream: to become a pitch curator at Adelaide Oval.
Sam joined the grounds team as a casual, which led to a formal traineeship at the stadium. Since then, he’s gained hands‑on experience preparing the playing surface for major events, including international Test matches, AFL Gather Round, and NRL State of Origin. He’s also tackled post-concert turf replacements and prepared pitches in Florida for the 2024 ICC T20 Men’s World Cup.
An advocate for the turf management industry, Sam praises the value of training pathways. His colleagues describe him as a self-starter, a hands-on leader, and an effective communicator; he enjoys mentoring emerging trainees and engaging with the broader community.