Community Colleges Australia (CCA) has announced the finalists of the Community Education Trainer of the Year Award. The Award celebrates the work and underlines the importance of Australian adult and community education (ACE) trainers and teachers. The Award ceremony will take place at the CCA Conference dinner in Sydney on Tuesday 13 September.
The Finalists
The 10 finalists (listed in order of surname) and their employers are:
- Deborah-Leigh Bye, St George & Sutherland Community College
- Claudia Cave & Lisa Chapman, Kiama and Shoalhaven Community Colleges (one nomination as a pair)
- Melanie Duck, ACE Community Colleges
- Liz Elliott, WEA Illawarra
- Shaista Imran, Sydney Community College
- Chakinta Jones, South Coast Community College
- Deborah Mercer, Atwea College
- Shirley Shirdon, Western Riverina Community College
- Bruce Spence, Community College Northern Inland
- Peter Wilson, Central Coast Community College
View photos and read biographical background on each of the finalists.
The Honour Roll
The following five nominated trainers – although not finalists – will all receive “Honour Roll” commendations in recognition of their achievements:
- Karen Dallas, Coffs Coast Community College
- Jasmeet Khanooja, Macquarie Community College
- Sarah Dicker, North Coast Community College
- Grace Wong, Parramatta Community College
- Alison Quinn, Western Riverina Community College
The Judging Panel
Award decisions will be made by an impartial judging panel, consisting of Evelyn Goodwin (CCA Manager Policy & Projects), Chemène Sinson (VET consultant and CCA Conference MC) and Joneen Troup (former Manager, Camden Haven Community College). Judging criteria can be found in the Award Terms and Conditions (PDF).
About the Trainer of the Year Award
This year – 2022 – is the first time that CCA has run the Community Education Trainer of the Year Award, with generous sponsorship supplied by the NSW Government.
CCA is proud of the many thousands of Australian ACE trainers and teachers, who motivate, inspire, mentor and guide their students to learn new skills and grow professionally and personally, reaching economic, social and community life objectives. Trainers are the “cutting edge” of ACE education and training, as they support and facilitate increased student confidence and learning, bringing to bear their own substantial life, industry, teaching and other professional experience.
The Community Education Trainer of the Year Award complements and expands on CCA’s successful Student of the Year Awards, which in turn reflect the diversity of the Australian ACE sector and the importance of the personalised attention that ACE trainers give their students. The Trainer of the Year Award reinforces, continues and deepens these traditions.
Eligibility: The 2022 Trainer of the Year Award nominations were open to those have taught or trained students (in a paid capacity) in at least one course of study at an Australian not-for-profit adult and community education (ACE) organisation during the period 1 January 2021 through 30 July 2022. Courses of study could be VET accredited or non-accredited, including pre-accredited or pre-vocational.
