VCAL Achievement Award recipients with Parliamentary Secretary for Schools Tim Richardson (front row, fourth from right)
Congratulations to winners of VCAL Achievement Awards
On Thursday 28 April the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) Achievement Awards were held at The Edge, Fed Square. The event honours VCAL students, teachers and partners who have distinguished themselves during their VCAL program.
Tim Richardson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Schools, introduced the event commending the 2021 cohort of students for ‘achieving great success in the face of a global pandemic’.
Mr Richardson highlighted that the vocational specialisation will be introduced in 2023 to build on the excellent practice demonstrated by award recipients, and deliver a high-quality vocational pathway through the VCE, enabling students to build on their knowledge, skills and capabilities, preparing them for life and work.
This year, there were 35 recipients across 18 categories. The achievements being celebrated ranged from bringing a beautiful native garden into being on an empty plot to founding a small business sewing recycled clothing into animal accessories and to pioneering new ways of delivering the VCAL program.
Dakota Walker, Wantirna College recipient of a Senior Work Related Skills award, gave a short speech on behalf of the class of 2021. She spoke on the theme: ‘Why is there a stigma attached to applied learning?’
‘In Year 11 I was the only girl in my building and construction class,’ Dakota explained.
‘Because I was a girl people tried to tell me to try cabinet making instead and continually questioned my choice to be a carpenter. I was awarded the Excellence Award for my VET course in building and construction but being the only girl in a male dominated industry, both in the classroom and on the worksite, was tough because there is such a lack of female role models.’
‘While in theory we believe that girls can do anything, there is still work to be done to ensure there is equity of choices for all young people in all industries.’
‘One of my goals as a VCAL leader was to prove to the VCE students that applied learning was not the easy option.’
‘I never thought I would go on to tertiary studies, because people think VCAL is just for tradies. I am the only person in my family to go on to tertiary studies.’
Read more about this year’s recipients on the
VCAL Achievement Awards page.
Dakota Walker, recipient of the Senior Work Related Skills Award