During the recent Learn Local Awards, WCIG’s Training services was thrilled to hear that our trainer, Katrina Lambert, and student, Jayce, were announced as finalists. The Learn Local Awards aim to celebrate great individual success stories leadership, programs, innovation, and collaboration in the Learn Local sector.
For the second consecutive year, Katrina was nominated as a finalist in the Victorian Learn Local Pre-accredited Trainer Award category, for her deep-rooted passion for education and desire to make a meaningful impact on her students; always going the extra mile to create personalised learner pathways to meet their unique needs. Congratulations! Katrina. Read below an extract** about Katrina.
For Jayce, this was his first year as a nominee for the Victorian Learn Local Pre-accredited Learner (Skills for Work) Award. A student in WCIG’s Stepping Forward for Work and Kick Start Your Life program, Jayce has powered through a series of setbacks and has gained significant confidence and belief in himself. Congratulations! Jayce. Read below an extract** about Jayce.
Jayce: Student (Stepping Forward for Work & Kick Start Your Life)
Being neurodivergent, Jayce’s special challenges precluded them from doing VCE. A busy classroom was overwhelming and noisy environments were an enormous challenge. This coupled with the anxieties they experienced about being non-binary, made it very hard to complete tasks.
Jayce was encouraged by a youth coach to enrol in the Stepping Forward for Work & Kick Start Your Life program at WCIG, a support service for people experiencing disadvantage in Geelong.
Overwhelmed and anxious, they began the program with the belief that they would not be of value to any employer. With determination, and the employment of noise-cancelling headphones, Jayce completed several programs and certificate courses in self-development and hospitality.
After a trial run in a commercial kitchen, Jayce was heartened to be offered a job in the company. With renewed confidence, they re-enrolled in VCE for 2024. Jayce inspires others to power through the setbacks, while they work towards further studies for a career in biology.
Katrina – Trainer (WCIG – ACFE courses)
Katrina’s journey into the Learn Local sector was driven by a deep-rooted passion for education and a profound desire to make a meaningful impact on her community. Previously, she’d taught at Mission Australia, then Department of Justice in corrections. For the past 6 years, as a trainer at WCIG, she’s focused on students aged 17–24 from challenging backgrounds. This includes homelessness, families of crime and abuse and migrants. Many of the students participate in WCIG’s Transition to Work program.
With a focus on improving employability, Katrina is committed to addressing educational disparities and empowering students to achieve their potential. Primarily, her students are job seekers so she teaches foundation courses and equips them with practical tools for job searches, interviews, resume writing and communication.
By taking a multifaceted approach, including personal development, Katrina has a remarkable impact on her students and goes the extra mile to create personalised learner pathways to meet their unique needs.
We cannot wait to nominate more outstanding trainers and students when the Learn Local Awards open in 2024.
For more information about WCIG’s training course, please click here.
Both extracts are taken from 2023 Victorian Learn Local Awards finalists | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)
