Last Thursday evening, a young man named Elton Brinkman was called up to the podium at The Carmichael event centre in Warrnambool to be recognised as Master Builders’ Apprentice of the Year for Victoria’s South West section. We trust it was a proud moment for him; it certainly was a rewarding experience for those of us at Master Builders to recognise people like Elton, who contribute so importantly to the building industry.

Elton is one of approximately 20 apprentices, out of 400 nominated, whose work we recognised this season in our annual Apprentice of the Year program. Over the past month, our Careers Manager, Jarrod Flanigan, has driven throughout Victoria to help coordinate this event in the regional towns where the winning apprentices pursue their trades, including not just Warrnambool, but Geelong, Traralgon, Shepparton, Benalla, Mildura, Ballarat, Bendigo and the numerous smaller communities nearby.

Attending one of these celebratory events demonstrates just how important it is to the honourees and their families. The evenings are exciting occasions, and apprentice winners and nominees alike arrive with their parents, siblings, spouses, employers and educators whose guidance and encouragement have been so central to their achievements. It gives us a great feeling to observe the outpouring of support these folks receive, as well as the considerable media attention they attract. It draws attention to the fact that builders have a substantial impact on the communities in which they live and work. To that end, we are pleased to send the winners home with over $30,000 worth of sponsor-provided prizes, including tool allowances, designed to help them with their future work.

Now that the regional winners have been announced, we look forward to seeing them come together once again to compete for the State Apprentice of the Year Awards on 8 May in Melbourne.

Victoria is fortunate to have so much fresh talent eager to make a lasting contribution to our industry. They are essential to its health and productivity. We need a skilled workforce in building and construction that will continue to build Victoria. Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of these selected apprentices encourages all apprentices throughout Victoria to continue their career path to achieve better and greater things for our industry.