TAFE NSW student and Tottenham resident, Clinton Larkings has been awarded Apprentice of the Year at the prestigious Western Regional Training Awards Presentation Event at Orange Ex-Services Club on Friday evening.

TAFE NSW students claimed five of the six awards on offer at the Training Services NSW event, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year, Vocational Student of the Year, Trainee of the Year and School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year.

Mr Larkings said, “You never go to these awards expecting to win. I was up against some really talented students so I was surprised, but very happy to win because it’s reward for all the hard work I’ve been putting in.”

TAFE NSW Acting Regional General Manager, Adam Bennett congratulated Clinton on his outstanding achievements.

“It’s been an exciting year for Clinton. He has been selected to represent Australia at the WorldSkills finals in Russia this year, he won a TAFE NSW Excellence Award for Apprentice of the Year, and he has now won a Regional Training Award.

“Clinton’s dedication and commitment to his study and being the best he can be is to be commended. The extra effort that he has put into studying at TAFE NSW and as an apprentice at Luke Cross Engineering and Rigging in Dubbo has certainly paid off.

“For TAFE NSW students to win five of a possible six awards on the night demonstrates the high-quality skills students learn, and exciting employment opportunities that become available when you choose to study at Australia’s largest training organisation.”

The annual Training Services NSW event recognises and rewards the outstanding achievements of vocational students and demonstrates the extent of quality in the vocational education and training sector.

The winners of the Western Training Awards will be considered for the NSW Training Awards, which will be held in Sydney this September.

The full list of awards won by TAFE NSW students included:

Jennifer Boney - Vocational Student of the Year - Orange

Laycee Covington-Gorst - Trainee of the Year - Bathurst

Chenoa Endacott – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year - Mudgee

William Searl - School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year - Forbes

For more information on TAFE NSW courses available for study through face-to-face, TAFE Western Connect or online, visit www.tafensw.com.au or call 131 601.

Media contact: Emma Curtis, TAFE NSW Media Officer, (02) 6338 2509, mobile 0427 901 515