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General News

21 December, 2023

Tarkyn wins apprentice award

ELECTRICAL apprentice Tarkyn Smith has won this year’s Rotary Club of Warrnambool East ‘First Year Apprentice’ award.

By Staff Writer

Tarkyn Smith with his First Year Apprentice award.
Tarkyn Smith with his First Year Apprentice award.

The award, which is given to a first-year apprentice from South West TAFE, was presented to Tarkyn at Rotary’s annual dinner late last month.

He was one of eight students to be nominated by their teachers for excellence in their trades and it was his passion and commitment to his studies and work that made him stand out as the winner.

Tarkyn works for Day’s Electrical Contracting in Portland and is looking forward to where his career in the electrical industry can take him.

Runner-up awards went to cookery apprentice Seth Allen, employed by the Gordon Hotel in Portland, and engineering mechanical trade apprentice Thomas Hutchins, from SWI Engineering.

Encouragement awards were presented to cabinet making apprentice Katie Wheldon, carpentry apprentice Michael Grey, plumbing apprentice Sebastian Essenwanger, engineering fabrication trade apprentice Alex Campbell, and automotive apprentice Connor Poole.

To select a winner, the eight students were interviewed by the Rotary club.

The award was judged on how students were progressing in their course, their willingness to learn, how they positively represented their trade and how they could be encouraged to continue their studies.

The judging panel was impressed by all students and their focus on creating successful careers for themselves.

Rotary’s youth service director Wendy Mitchem said all the candidates showed incredible enthusiasm in their trades and had bright futures ahead of them.

She said it was wonderful to see the apprentices from all different backgrounds all succeeding in their chosen fields.

The Rotary Club of Warrnambool East has offered this award for many years and continues to provide ongoing support to training apprentices in the region.

South West TAFE chief executive officer Mark Fidge said the organisation was grateful for the partnership with Rotary in supporting apprentices.

“It’s great to have the ongoing support of the Rotary Club of Warrnambool East and the encouragement this award gives to our first-year apprentices is invaluable,” he said.

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