SuniTAFE celebrated on Wednesday night as the Swan Hill campus Class of 2025 officially graduated from their qualifications.

Across all SuniTAFE campuses in 2025, more than 500 students completed a qualification, including trainees, apprentices, and international students.

At the Swan Hill event, the majority of graduates who crossed the stage were able to do so with the help of the Free TAFE program, particularly in the areas of community services and individual support.

This reflects the positive impact of Free TAFE in enabling students to gain the skills they need to make a meaningful contribution to vital industries.

SuniTAFE’s 2025 award winners and scholarship recipients were also announced during the event, with 7 individuals receiving recognition for their hard work and dedication.

Amongst those recognised during the event were community services graduate Claire Dickeson and individual support graduate Kellie Knight who were named Student of the Year – Academic and Student of the Year – Certificate III and IV respectively.

Both outstanding students are now using their new skills to contribute to vital services in Swan Hill and surrounding areas.  

SuniTAFE Chief Executive Officer Brett Millington was proud to celebrate another cohort of graduates and recognise the impact they’ll go on to make in the community.

“Graduation is a fantastic occasion in which we get to celebrate the student journey through to its completion,” he said.

“Our number one strategic priority is to change lives, and it was very easy to see that empowerment on show.

“It’s also significant to be able to recognise the role of our teachers and staff in creating this positive change. Most of the graduates crossing the stage Wednesday night did so with the support of Free TAFE which again highlights the creation of opportunities for skills and employment in our community.”

 

Full list of award winners

Student Awards

First Nations Student of the Year | Sponsored by Skills and Jobs Centre
Cassandra Khan – Certificate III in Individual Support

Trainee of the Year | Sponsored by PDF Accounting
Sahra Summerfield – Diploma of Community Services

VDSS Student of the Year | Sponsored by Skills and Jobs Centre
Kadison Dalton – Certificate I in Engineering

Student of the Year – Certificate III or IV (Non-Trade) | Sponsored by Skills and Jobs Centre
Kellie Knight – Certificate III in Individual Support

Student of the Year – Academic (Diploma/Advanced Diploma) | Sponsored by Skills and Jobs Centre
Claire Dickeson – Diploma of Community Services

Scholarships

The Sunraysia Institute of TAFE and Chances for Children Scholarship
Gabrielle Davis – Diploma of Nursing
Ruby Bower – Diploma of Community Services