AWARDS SHOW THE INDUSTRY IS IN TALENTED HANDS

By Rebecca Casson – CEO, MBAV

One of the many pleasures of my job as CEO of Master Builders Victoria is officiating at the State Apprentice of the Year Awards where I get to meet and thank the honorees, their families, employers and training institutions.

At this year’s event, held in the Victory Room at Marvel Stadium, I also enjoyed welcoming our sponsors and thanking them for their essential support of our programs and events. It’s a good job, and I enjoy these responsibilities.

And I get great satisfaction from meeting our apprentices and acting as a messenger, delivering good news to a new generation of trades people in the building and construction industry.

Jackson Harry, a carpentry apprentice from Waratah Bay, enjoyed a double victory, being named Master Builders State Apprentice of the Year and Employer-Nominated Apprentice of the Year for 2019. Harry received his awards in front of an audience of more than 650 guests and won nearly $8000 worth of tools, work wear, a trailer and vouchers for his achievement.

One of the most important investments Victoria can make is in the training and skills of young people in our sector.

As Victoria continues to grow faster than any other state or territory in the nation, it will rely increasingly on apprentices like Jackson to deliver the housing and infrastructure it needs.

I’m very excited to see the cross-section of young men and women who are taking on the mantle of such a noble profession, and I look forward to seeing the group of high achievers become ever more diverse.