Stewart Holmes {break}the final piece of the puzzle

The next generation of Tasmanian AFL SportsReady and ArtsReady trainees are ready to embark on their career journeys.  Over 700 trainees, including 146 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have graduated as part of the 2014/2015 class with last night’s graduation ceremony in Tasmania marking the end of the graduating season.

The celebration, held at the Old Woolstore in Hobart proved to be the perfect finish as family, friends, hosts, partners and staff gathered in the picturesque venue to celebrate the trainees’ achievements.

AFL SportsReady CEO James Montgomery was especially pleased with the quality of this year’s alumnae. “Our graduates have all worked so hard to set themselves a pathway to a bright and promising career. We look forward to seeing where their careers take them.“

In a first for AFL SportsReady, ArtsReady trainee Stewart Holmes from Marist Regional College, took out the top award receiving the 2015 AFL SportsReady Trainee of the Year. Stewart is the first ArtsReady trainee to be awarded the honour.

Supervisor, Jenny Lakeland was impressed with the inaugural ArtsReady trainee of the year from the moment he was interviewed with his passionate approach and “just give it a go” attitude.

Marist College Regional Manager Les Allen echoed Ms Lakelands sentiment praising Stewart’s drive and enthusiasm “Stewy came to the school and the traineeship knowing exactly what he wanted to get out of the year. That way, everything he did had a purpose and a fit. He saw it all as another step towards where he was going.”

Nicole Harper was awarded the 2015 HOSTPLUS Rising Star award after completing her Certificate III in Sport and Recreation with St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart.

Tasmanian State Manager Tracy Parry was impressed with how much Nicole had grown during her 12 month traineeship.

“She was incredibly enthusiastic during her traineeship and had such a fabulous work ethic. Nicole displayed great communication skills and was able to work with students, teachers and parents. I could tell straight away that Nicole had something special,” said Ms Parry.

Nicole has become a valuable member of staff and has recently been promoted to Junior School Sport Coordinator.

Ms Parry commended all the graduates and expressed her excitement regarding the night’s proceedings. “The night was extremely successful and I’m incredibly impressed with the overall standard of trainees who graduated this year. Tonight’s celebration caps off all the hard work and achievements the class of 2014/15 have displayed throughout the past 12 months. I look forward to seeing them flourish into future leaders,” Ms Parry added.

Mr Montgomery also paid tribute to the role host employers play in contributing to the development of their trainees.

“What we do is really about partnerships. We don’t do any of our work alone. We help businesses with solutions to their employment problems, we make it simple to take on a trainee, we help young people get the foot in the door of a career, and we work with everyone to make it work for all concerned.”

“We aim to set young people up for success by providing them with an opportunity to launch their own career, and there is no better example of that than the class of 2014/15.”

“We wish all our trainees luck as they embark on the next part of their career journey,” Mr Montgomery concluded.

DATE: 8 May 2015
IMAGE: AFL SportsReady’s Manager of Education & Employment Tracey Parry, Tasmanian Trainee of the Year Stewart Holmes, and CEO James Montgomery