A teacher and student from SuniTAFE are amongst this year’s Victorian Training Awards finalists, announced in a media release by the Victorian Government last week.

The Victorian Training Awards celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of individuals and organisations across the Victorian TAFE sector. This is the 70th year of the prestigious awards.

SuniTAFE Heavy Automotive and Automotive Electrical Teacher Will Sharpe is one of this year’s top contenders in the Teacher/Trainer of the Year category.

At the same time, Diploma of Nursing graduate Emily Behrendt will represent SuniTAFE in the category of Koorie Student of the Year.

Mr Sharpe’s nomination comes after a successful year, where he was named SuniTAFE’s Teacher of the Year for the 2023 academic year.

He continually shows dedication to the education outcomes of his students and is committed to changing their lives through vocational education.

Mr Sharpe is an advocate for TAFE training, reaching national and international audiences through his work with WorldSkills Australia.

Miss Behrendt, who graduated from the Swan Hill campus earlier this year, is a committed nurse with a genuine passion for her field. Obtaining a nursing qualification was a long-held dream for her and she refused to let personal setbacks derail her progress.

She is using her new qualifications to give back to her local community of Kerang and is proudly providing care to those who are unable to care for themselves.

Miss Behrendt is following in the footsteps of her colleague Pearl Dunn, a former SuniTAFE student, who was named Victoria’s Koorie Student of the Year last year.

SuniTAFE is proud to have two finalists in the Victorian Training Awards this year.

“It is fantastic to see our staff and students recognised as finalists in these prestigious awards,” SuniTAFE Chief Executive Officer Brett Millington said.

“Their success is indicative of the hard work of all our teams and the perseverance of students to not only succeed but excel.

“We are very proud that Mr Sharpe and Miss Behrendt have progressed to the final stage of these awards.”  

The finalists will attend the Victorian Training Awards gala in Melbourne on 30 August, where the award winners will be announced.