Corangamite Shire Early Childhood Education trainee Lucinda Evans has been named Best Victorian GTO (group training organisations) School Based Apprentice of the Year.
The announcement was made at the Apprentice Training Awards Gala in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 November.
Cobden resident Lucinda first began looking after her four younger siblings and younger cousins. Before high school started, I was thinking about jobs and TAFE in later years," she said.
"I didn't really know what I wanted to do and I thought 'I love kids, helping them develop and being part of their journey'.
"I wanted to start my career journey early so I started looking at South West TAFE and they have a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
The Camperdown College Year 11 student started the course and did a placement with Corangamite Shire, where she learnt about Council's trainee program.
"I didn't want to leave school but I wanted to finish my Cert III quicker. I ended up getting the traineeship and started in early 2025."
Amy Nuske, Family & Children's Services Officer has supported the SBAT program since inception. She said Lucinda always shows up with a positive attitude and ready to work alongside the team at our McNicol Street Training Centre on Fridays.
"She is the first student we have taken on under the School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBAT) program.
"She is an integral part of "Growing Our Own" Educators.
"Lucinda has shown hard work and dedication while studying her VCE as well as working towards completing her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education, attending South West TAFE, and working.
"She has impressed her school, West Vic Staffing Solutions, the team at McNicol Street Training Centre, as well as members of the Family & Children's Services team and has set a high bar for future students looking to participate in the SBAT program.
"We hope to continue to guide Lucinda in our services and know she will be a fantastic Educator."
Wayne Roberston, from Westvic Staffing Solutions said: "As an organisation we would like to congratulate Lucinda on this outstanding achievement. To be recognised as a finalist—and then named the overall winner—through a nomination and interview process assessed by an independent panel is a true credit to her dedication, capability, and character.
"Completing a school-based traineeship has played an instrumental role in Lucinda's development, and this recognition reflects not only her hard work, but also the commitment of all who have supported her along the way. Well done, Lucinda."
Camperdown College Principal Vicki Angus said: "We are incredibly proud of Lucinda, for her achievements at state level in the workplace and at school. Lucinda is an excellent role model for her peers."
Corangamite Shire has tackled Educator workforce shortages by Growing Our Own.
The Growing Our Own Early Years Workforce project earnt Council's Family and Children's Services team statewide recognition as a finalist in the MAVlab Innovation Awards.
The project is one of three finalists in The Now and Forever Award for Impact and Legacy, supported by Australian Red Cross.
Council has invested heavily in supporting staff to upskill and mentor developing team members, and training new educators, to address a critical shortage of early years educators.
To date, 33 educators have been part of the strategy, completing 45 qualifications from Certificate III to Bachelor's degree.
Council now employs 78 early years educators across 13 services, up from 46 in 2020, and has six trainees at any one time.
Council is also preparing to offer 20 hours of pre-prep in 2026.
