FIRMS TOP FOR TRAINING
COMPANIES from Queensland have taken out the employer award trifecta at the 2017 Australian Training Awards.
Hutchinson Builders was named Large Employer of the Year, Darwalla Group took home the Medium Employer of the Year award, and Tradesmen on Time won Small Employer of the Year.
The trend of Queensland winners was not lost on attendees at the Canberra event, which cheered for the state.
Meanwhile, the 2017 Apprentice of the Year – Gemma Hartwig – also is from Queensland.
Tradesmen On Time codirector and operations manager Chris Lehmann says his Everton Hills electrical contractor is a passionate advocate for training.
“Winning the Queensland Small Employer of the Year Award in September was massive,” he says.
“But now, this result is such an acknowledgment of our commitment to training staff, particularly young female and male apprentices.
“We’re all watching STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) creating ideas to fuel future projects, where science meets business.
“The building and engineering trades are the practical applications of STEM in the economy.
“We want our electrical tradies of the future to be equipped and ready to go.”
Lehmann says training should not just be about ensuring excellence at work but also personal development and awareness of their contribution as part of a community.
“We’re a firm of electricians, but a goal of our training is to support the whole person to grow, be self-reliant and autonomous, as well as end up exceptionally highly skilled,” he says.
Tradesmen on Time has hosted 40 work experience students over the past seven years as well as produced award-winning apprentices. Each fortnight, Lehmann hosts a Tool Talk training session.