September 17, 2019
Astill’s Electrical Services has celebrated its 10th birthday by taking out the Queensland Medium Employer of the Year trophy at the Queensland Training Awards in Brisbane.
Owners Mick and Amanda Astill were congratulated and presented with their State trophy by Training and Skills Development Minister Shannon Fentiman at the Brisbane Convention Centre on Saturday night.
They qualified for the State competition after being successful at a regional level in the Darling Downs South West awards in July.
Astill’s began 10 years ago next month in a garage in Wondai.
It’s growth has been steady over the years and it now boasts modern, new premises in Kingaroy plus a branch on the Sunshine Coast.
When southburnett.com.au spoke to Astill’s after their regional win in July, they had 26 employees across the two sites.
But the business continues to grow: Astill’s now has 28 workers, including seven apprentices and one trainee.
Amanda said winning the State award was unexpected but Mick was more confident.
“We put a lot of effort in,” he said.
Amanda agreed: “It’s nice to get recognised.”
In 2018, Mick and Amanda took home the Darling Downs South West Small Employer of the Year award and were finalists in the State awards.
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Phyllicia Landers, from Cherbourg, was a finalist on Saturday night in the Equity VET Student of the Year State award.
She won the regional award in July.
Phyllicia started as a hospitality trainee under the State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders For Work program in 2016 and completed a Certificate II in Hospitality.
In October 2017, she began work at the Cherbourg Community Cafe and Training Centre.
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Ms Fentiman said the 58th Queensland Training Awards celebrated individuals and organisations that strove for and achieved success, best practice and innovation in vocational education and training.
She presented awards to winners across 14 categories.
The 2019 State winners were:
- Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year: Ellie Farrington from Toowoomba (Certificate III in Carpentry with Blue Dog Training Pty Ltd)
- Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year: Aman Meles from Redbank Plains (Certificate III in Community Services with Designer Life)
- Vocational Student of the Year: Kristy McDermott from Karalee (Diploma of Landscape Design and a Diploma of Horticulture with TAFE Queensland)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year: Shaunah Downton from Kallangur (Certificate III in Health Services Assistance with SWC Training)
- School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year: Luke Fraley from Jensen, near Townsville (Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology with Tec-NQ)
- Equity VET Student of the Year: Aman Meles from Redbank Plains (Certificate III in Community Services with Designer Life)
- VET Teacher or Trainer of the Year: Jacqui Dale from Annandale, Townsville (Thuringowa State High School)
- Community Training Initiative of the Year: Community Enterprises Australia Ltd for their Torres Strait “Growing Our Own” Maritime Traineeship in Cairns
- Large Training Provider of the Year: CQUniversity Australia
- Small Training Provider of the Year: MTA Institute at Eight Mile Plains
- Large Employer of the Year: Jubcan Venture Pty Ltd (McDonald’s Restaurants – Cairns Central, Cairns Esplanade, Woree, Edmonton, Gordonvale and Innisfail)
- Medium Employer of the Year: Astill’s Electrical Services, Kingaroy
- Small Employer of the Year: Kennedy’s Timbers, Narangba
- Premier’s Industry Collaboration Award: EQIP Gladstone Inc
Three of these winners will be selected after further judging to represent Queensland at the national Australian Training Awards, being hosted in Brisbane on November 21.
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