Matthew picks up his second award

By Sarah Schwager
HAMPTON Park’s Matthew Cole has received his second accolade this year.
The Chisholm Institute engineering student has won the Outstanding Student of the Year (Apprentice) award.
This comes just two months after being awarded the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce’s Young Enterprise Award for his commitment to study and professionalism demonstrated while in the workplace.
Mr Cole is now studying for an advanced diploma in engineering while simultaneously undertaking his fitting and turning apprenticeship with South Dandenong’s Crane Aid Pty Ltd.
“I’m so grateful to be receiving this award and I thank Chisholm very much,” he said.
Last year he was also judged the highest achieving apprentice for both Level 2 and Level 3 after completing the Certificate III in engineering technology.
“A highlight for me last year too was that I was selected for the Okuma Australia’s TAFE Incentive Program which took me to Japan for a major international engineering exhibition and a tour of Okuma’s head office and production facilities in Nagoya – this was fantastic.”
Mr Cole said he was continually looking to further his studies and felt he was in a very lucky situation with Crane Aid, having been exposed to many different situations in his field, helping with his off the job training.
“Ultimately, I’m working towards becoming a mechanical engineer, or ending up somewhere in that field and my goals are advancing in CNC machining and programming – my aim is to some day achieve a management role in the company (where) I work,” he said.
“I think I have added to the value of my learning by challenging myself to very high expectations, asking many questions, having a curious mind and wanting to know as much as I can.
“I’ve also worked as many hours as I can on the job and after hours – never saying no so that I could get as much experience as I could.”
Matthew’s Outstanding Student of the Year award within the institute has also seen him nominated for this year’s Victorian Training Awards, hosted by the Victorian Department of Education, within the category of Outstanding Student of the Year Award (Apprentice).