Vocational Student Shines at MWLP Awards Night
Nearly 200 guests attended MWLP’s Student Work Placement Awards held at Bankstown Sports Club recently. Students were nominated by their host employers for being outstanding during their work placement. These students are in Years 11 and 12 and undertaking vocational courses as part of their Higher School Certificate, where work placement is a mandatory requirement. Some 500 hosts were asked to nominate their best students (from 6,000 candidates) and the results were outstanding!
l to r Dr David Williams MWLP, Student of the Year Kimberley S and Tom Emeleus NECA
Kimberley S from St Patrick's College for Girls took out the top award. Kimberley was nominated by Graham Krueger, Group Executive Chef, at Wests Leagues Club. Graham said “Kimberley is the best student ever. In all the years we have been hosting students, she is definitely the best I have seen come through the MWLP work placement program. She is the most enthusiastic, competent, interested, motivated and all round fantastic student. She even ran the fryer section by herself and was able to hold her own with qualified chefs in their sections. She definitely has a job waiting for her.”
Kimberley was thrilled to win. She added “I was surprised and very grateful. I have known I want to be a chef for a few years and work placement opened my eyes to new opportunities. I loved my time at Wests Leagues Club. There was a sense of community and everyone was so helpful. I went with an open mind and was determined to do my best. I tried my hardest and asked if I wasn’t sure of anything. I started with simple prep and did more and more. I really started to believe in myself.”
Kimberley’s Hospitality Teacher and VET Coordinator, Maree Durrington said “Kimberley is really passionate about Hospitality. She has bloomed since her nomination and to win the Hospitality framework and then the overall Student of the Year, Kimberley is over the moon. This is a wonderful opportunity that will open many doors for her. ”David Williams, MWLP’s CEO, summarised the night “This is what Vocational Education and Training (VET) is all about. Not only do the students reap the rewards from work placement and the connections they make with industry, employers are linked to the future workforce. It is a win/win for everyone.”
Posted on March 29, 2018 (Reprinted with permission from MWLP /Linking youth Facebook page )