Top employers recognised for greatness

The 2024 TAFE Queensland – SkillsTech CSQ Apprentice Awards were held on Thursday 10 October at the Royal International Convention Centre in Bowen Hills, thanks to a raft of generous sponsors led by Construction Skills Queensland.

With 18 awards presented on the night, including two Employer of the Year categories, the event celebrated greatness in apprentices and in employers leading their industries in training support and initiatives.

The first awards of the evening were the AEN Small Employer of the Year, taken out by geospatial technology business Aptella, and the Bailey Ladders Large Employer of the Year, taken out by commercial construction company McNab.

Two of more than 4,000 employers that conduct training with the relevant TAFE Queensland region, these businesses showed their commitment to training staff through bespoke training packages and/or additional workplace initiatives to support their apprentices.

Aptella, a leading business in the emerging geospatial technology industry, were crowned the AEN Small Employer of the Year due to their bespoke apprenticeship training program which sees apprentices undertake additional training in skills used in their sub-sector of the auto-electrical industry.

Aptella were presented their award by AEN Executive Officer Craig Westwood.

The program sees Aptella apprentices complete a Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology (AUR30316) with additional learning added in Local Area Network (LAN) training, which they will use as part of their highly specialised roles.

Business Manager of Emerging Industries at TAFE Queensland, Shawn O'Sullivan, said the partnership was mutually beneficial.

“Our partnership with Aptella is beneficial on both sides because it allows us to work with industry closely on modern and new technology so our teachers are always maintaining currency and delivering the highest quality training that we can for TAFE Queensland and the employers,” he said.

Aptella apprentices in training at TAFE Queensland.

The Bailey Ladders Large Employer of the Year was awarded to McNab in recognition of additional support they offer their apprentices outside of the formal training they receive with TAFE Queensland.

Excelling as an apprentice employer means more than ensuring timely progress and diverse onsite work tasks for McNab, with Trades and Labour Manager Ryan Smith referencing initiatives designed to build people, not just tradespeople.

Ryan Smith accepted the Bailey Ladders Large Employer of the Year on the night.

“We have apprenticeship days where we bring in spokespeople around financial advice, different skills like living away from home skills, and all those different pieces to get their lives balanced, because we want these people to come out the end successful and better people,” he said.