ARC’s cool step for skilled industry

With 135,000 refrigeration technicians and businesses under its wing, Australian Refrigeration Council's donation is a testament to its dedication to encouraging Indigenous participation in the climate control industry.

ARC is committed to encouraging diversity in the workforce, along with the environmental stewardship that underpins its 19-year-old ARCtick licensing scheme, born from the Montreal Protocol's mission to curb emissions harmful to our planet.

ARC Chief Executive Officer Glenn Evans said the sponsorship would help to attract the brightest minds and bridge the gap for those who might not have the means but possess the potential to excel in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.

“We see this scholarship as a more targeted initiative to support a single worthy individual,” he said.

“The industry is attracting an increasingly diverse cohort of young apprentices, and this scholarship is intended to increase indigenous participation as part of that growing diversity.”

Launched in 2015, the TAFE Queensland Scholarship Program has awarded over $3 million, helping more than 640 Queenslanders to pursue their career goals.

The TAFE Queensland Scholarship Program awards each recipient $5,000 to study any Certificate III through to an Advanced Diploma or Bachelor Degree at any of our over 60 campus locations or online.

Scholarships help cover the costs of course fees, text books and living expenses.

There are two types of scholarships available, one being Merit scholarships aimed at supporting people who have demonstrated strong levels of achievement to advance their careers. The second is Access and Equity scholarships designed to help students who are battling social or financial hardship.

ARC's sponsorship is a strategic investment in the workforce of tomorrow, ensuring that the trade skills, which are more complex and specialised than many other trades, continue to evolve and meet the demands of the future.

Success for ARC is personified in the scholarship recipients who, through the support of the TAFE Queensland Scholarship Foundation, will flourish into skilled tradespeople. These individuals represent the future of the industry, bringing with them the promise of innovation and excellence.

For ARC, success is not just in the numbers but in the stories of those whose talents are honed and whose futures are brightened because of this scholarship. Mr Evans said this was the true measure of the value that ARC and the TAFE Queensland Scholarship Foundation aimed to deliver.

“ARC knows that a scholarship can only deliver full value if it comes with the sort of support that the TAFE Queensland Scholarship Foundation can deliver,” he said. “We know the foundation will look after the interests of the scholarship recipient to ensure they gain maximum benefit.”