NECA Education and Careers has been awarded for group training organisation (GTO) excellence by the Apprenticeship Employment Network.

NECA Education and Careers is the recipient of two awards in the GTO category. Katrina Kessaris and Patrice Vassiliou, who undertook their respective apprenticeship and traineeship with NECA Education and Careers, also took out the top prize in their categories.

The GTO Service Excellence Award was awarded to NECA Education and Careers for the Women and Their Trade (WaTT) program which was established to address the declining number of women in the electrical trades. This program was designed to change the attitudes of the electrical industry, offering one-on-one support for these talented women to thrive in their chosen careers.

NECA Education and Careers partnered with key electrical contracting partners to offer 26 women full-time, four-year electrical apprenticeships across the commercial and construction fields of the industry, all while focusing on forging gender equity and accessibility through school engagement programs and Try Your Trade events.

“This win is incredible for us, and for the women involved in the program. It reflects the industry’s desire to further embrace change and recognise the ongoing challenges, value, and contributions of women in the electrical industry,” NECA Education and Careers head of workforce planning and development Stacey Fedden says.

NECA Education and Careers’ success continued with the award for Outstanding OHS Initiative which was received for the newly created Host Capability Program. This program was established to address the needs of NECA Education and Careers’ internal and external clients by providing specialised training as well as fostering a culture of safety.

The program contributes significantly to reducing incidents, promoting compliance and enhancing productivity. NECA Education and Careers was also delighted to share the success of two women who took out the top awards in their categories. Patrice Vassiliou was the recipient of the Inspiration Award, Disability Achievement and Katrina Kessaris received the Inspiration Award, Women in Trades category.

NECA Education and Careers also celebrated the nominations of four more of their apprentices and trainees who were runners-up in their categories:

• Drue McEntee, Inspiration Award, Indigenous Student of the Year,
• Jenna Humphries, Cynthia Molnar and Bridget Botcher, Inspiration Award finalists, Women in Trades,
• and Bridget Botcher and Cynthia Molnar, Apprentice of the Year finalists.

NECA Education and Careers’ Traineeship Disability Employment Pathway Pilot was also a finalist in the GTO Service Excellence award.