October 19, 2021
Nanango State High School student Olivia Nunn will be going straight from Year 12 into an apprenticeship at Stanwell, all thanks to three years of hard work she has put in at the Kingaroy TAFE campus.
Olivia was presented with the inaugural Rising Star award at the campus on Tuesday afternoon.
The award recognises the accomplishments of a high-achieving TAFE student who has participated in TAFE’s Year 10 Trade Taster program and then undertaken both a Certificate I and a Certificate II qualification, securing their future employment prior to completing their high school studies.
Olivia won the award against students in multiple faculties studying at TAFE colleges across the Darling Downs and South West, including Bundamba, Toowoomba, Warwick and Dalby.
She told southburnett.com.au she would be starting a five-year dual trade apprenticeship in electrical instrumentation, working at Tarong, after she left school.
She chose the Electrotechnology course at TAFE after taking part in the Trade Taster Program because she “enjoyed it the most”.
Trade Tasters involves one day per week at TAFE for nine weeks.
Students participate in units designed to give them a deeper understanding of a trade, helping them to make an informed decision when choosing a TAFE at School program or continuing with further studies in the future.
Olivia will now not only be graduating from Nanango State High School with her Year 12 Queensland Certificate of Education, but a Certificate II in Electrotechnology and a Certificate I in Construction.
TAFE Business Development Officer Evalyn Thompson said this was the first time a Rising Star award had been presented to a South West student, and she congratulated Olivia for making history.
Her teacher, lead educator Kris Holmes, was also full of praise – especially about Olivia securing an apprenticeship.
“There are a lot of applicants every year. To get down to the shortlist is hard enough, let alone to get the position,” he said.
