Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
A proud Ngemba woman, Emma Brown received the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award.
ACT students Emma Brown and Cyrus Wren have been recognised at the Australian Training Awards.
The national awards showcase best practice in vocational education and training (VET).
A proud Ngemba woman, Emma received the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award, while Cyrus was named runner-up Trainee of the Year.
Emma was awarded for her achievements during a 12-month Indigenous Apprenticeship Program (IAP) with CIT Solutions.
Her program combined a Diploma of Government with full-time employment as a Customer Service Officer with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Struggling with dyslexia at school and becoming a mum at 17, Emma said she never imagined pursuing further education.
“I really didn’t enjoy school growing up, it was only when I got to college and I started to get support from teachers who recognised that I need to learn in a different way. They helped me believe in myself.
“I never thought in a million years I’d want to continue study, but now I’m looking at other CIT courses I could do, including what’s available through CIT Yurauna [CIT’s dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educational Centre of Excellence],” she said.
The IAP aims to prepare First Nations learners for successful careers in the Australian public services and has had more than 1500 graduates in the past four years.
While she dedicated her award to her son, Zachary, Emma said she’d also surprised – and motivated – herself.
“I wanted to show him good work ethic and that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. It was about creating a better future for me and my son,” she said.
Like Emma, Cyrus didn’t enjoy high school.
He soon realised he needed a different pathway, and his year coordinator suggested an Australian School-based Apprenticeship (ASbA).
“It seemed like a bit of a no-brainer,” he said.
Cyrus completed work experience at the ACT Education Directorate, which led to an ASbA studying a Certificate III in Business.
“And from that point in time everything started to change for me,” he said.
He accepted a full-time traineeship with the Directorate’s Career and Vocational Pathways team.
He now works as a Career and Transitions Project Support Officer and is studying a Diploma of Project Management.
As part of his role, he has presented to over 1500 students on opportunities in vocational education and training (VET).
“I have a powerful, impactful story I would like to share with people all across the country to help them understand how VET can change their life,” Cyrus said.
The awards were held in Hobart on 17 November 2023.
Cyrus found the ASbA pathway life-changing.
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