Burleigh Heads-based Boss Homes – a new entrant in this year's
Queensland 400 - won the medium employer of the year category at the Gold Coast regional final of the 2005 Queensland Training Awards on Friday night.
Boss, who has focused on full-time employment and heavy investment in training and performance incentives to maintain a competitive edge, won the medium employer category in last year's state awards, before going on to snare the national Construction and Property Services Industry Award.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton says winners such as Boss Homes – whose MD Ian Anderson will outline the company's successful strategy at the prestigious
2005 Queensland 400 Business Summit on July 6 – are important "role models" for the vocational education and training sector and other employers.
"They have achieved a level of success that many people aspire to — hopefully their success encourages other people to consider training a quality career path," he says.
Other winners in the Gold Coast regional final were:
- Brett Stevenson of Helensvale — Apprentice of the Year
- Nicole Duff of Guanaba — Trainee of the Year
- Harvest Powell of Southport — Vocational Student of the Year
- Rachel Lewis of Southport — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
- Jennifer Grima of Tallebudgera Valley — School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year
- Absolutely Soft of Southport — Small Employer of the Year
- Palazzo Versace of Main Beach — Large Employer of the Year
- On-Q Human Resources of Southport — Minister's Training Initiative Award.
Jasmine-Skye Marinos of Southport was also presented with the Special Achiever Award on the night.
Also on Friday night, 2004
Queensland 400 member Dingo Mini Diggers of Dalby won the medium employer category in south-west Queensland regional final of the awards.
Other winners were:
- Jake Sullivan of Charleville – Apprentice of the Year
- Tanya Richardson of Cranley - Trainee of the Year
- Brian Weiss of Yelarbon – Vocational Student of the Year
- Richard Wheeler of Roma – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
- Samuel Kluck of Helidon – School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year
- Euroka Kitchens & Joiners of Toowoomba – Small Employer of the Year
- Management and Training Corporation of Ipswich – Large Employer of the Year
- Mungallala Progress and Sporting Association – Minister's Training Initiative Award.
Beau Garrett of Redbank Plains was also awarded on the night, receiving the Special Achievement Award
Winners from the regional finals will take part in the state final judging, which will be followed by the prestigious state final presentation dinner at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 8.
State winners are then eligible to nominate for the National Training Awards, which will be held in Perth in November.
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