Sydney TAFE hairdressing teacher, Donna Columbini,  has been awarded VET Trainer and Teacher of the Year at the 2016 Southern and South Western Regional Training Awards.

Donna was selected from teachers across all fields in the VET sector representing TAFE and private RTOs. She has been dedicated to hairdressing for 36 years.

"Winning this award means the world to me," she told The Journal magazine. "My everyday practice is to engage with other professionals within Sydney TAFE and the wider industry, as those networks and industry contacts bring a richness to my teaching and learning practices."

Donna is a great mentor to both her colleagues and students and is known for her continual strive for excellence.

"I have a strong commitment to the industry and this is reflected through my teaching, leadership of a teaching team and the students we teach," she said. "It is of the utmost importance that my teaching section gives the best possible education and training through quality teaching and learning practices."

Donna will compete at the NSW Training Awards in September.