NECA WA 2008 Excellence and Apprentice Awards

The 2008 Western Australia NECA Excellence Awards and Apprentice of the Year Awards were held on 29 August, recognising the significant achievements of five companies and four apprentices in the electro-technology industry in WA over the last 12 months.

“Projects were both innovative and diverse. In each case the work quality was outstanding and I was once again amazed at how our members will adapt in order to succeed — all without compromising the industry’s high safety standards,” said Peter Tuck, group CEO of NECA WA, the College of Electrical Training and Electrical Group Training. “This was another year where a skills shortage was often listed as a project challenge and it is particularly pleasing to see a strong field of electrical apprentices acknowledged this year as well.”

The Excellence Awards winners were:

• Small Contracting Business:
  - Winner: Trifield Electrical Engineering for Coal Fuel Handling 
• Occupational Health and Safety:
  - Winner: Downer EDI Engineering for OHS Certification Project
  - Certificate of Commendation: Electrical Construction & Maintenance for OH&S Management System
• Industrial:
  - Winner: Electrical Construction & Maintenance for Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Point Anderson Port facilities
  - Certificate of Commendation: Downer EDI Engineering Power for Woodside LNG Phase V
• Voice/Data large project:
  - Winner: Downer EDI Engineering for maintenance and service for SmartRider automated fares collection system, Public Transport Authority
• Commercial medium project:
  - Winner: AB Tilbury for lecture theatre, Edith Cowan University
• Commercial large project:
  - Winner: Downer EDI Engineering for maintenance and service for SmartRider automated fares collection system, Public Transport Authority

The apprentice entrants were nominated by their employers and assessed on job performance and professional goals as well as personal qualities. This year’s winners and runners-up were:

• Industrial:
  - Winner: Todd De Vries,Turner from Electrical Group Training (host employer: Downer EDI Engineering)
  - Runner-up: David Hartridge from Southern Cross Electrical Engineering
• Commercial/Domestic:
  - Winner: Thomas Enston from Electrical Group Training (host employer: BCA Consultants)
  - Runner-up: Michael Fox from Electrical Group Training (host employer: Everett Smith & Co)

The winners are eligible for the national awards to be announced in Sydney on 13 (Apprentice) and 14 (Excellence) November 2008.