- Published:
- Thursday 1 October 2026 at 9:38 am
The annual awards gala, managed by the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), honour outstanding achievements across 13 categories, as well as a special individual award for the Outstanding Achievement in the TAFE and Skills Sector.
This year there were 39 finalists showcasing the excellence, strength and diversity of Victoria’s TAFE and vocational education and training sector.
Anna Oliphant Wright was named Apprentice of the Year. She is undertaking an electrician apprenticeship at Holmesglen Institute. Anna is an advocate for resilience, using her experiences to help others and contribute to her community. Professionally, she has excelled by developing an estimating tool for the Metro Tunnel project that uncovered previously overlooked productivity issues.
Trainee of the Year Marta Strykhotska completed a Certificate IV in Business, strengthening her communication, administration and leadership skills. She’s now undertaking a Diploma of Project Management. After fleeing the war in Ukraine to protect her family, Marta Strykhotska wasted no time in establishing herself in Australia.
Ying Soon was named Vocational Student of the Year, Harvey Hughes won the School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year, Phil Cooper was awarded Koorie Student of the Year, and Bobby Read took home the Teacher/Trainee of the Year award, rounding out the individual awards.
The Outstanding Achievement in the TAFE and Skills Sector Award was presented to Frances Coppolillo, Chief Executive of Melbourne Polytechnic, recognising more than 30 years of service to Victoria’s TAFE and skills sector. Throughout her career at Melbourne Polytechnic, she held a range of senior leadership roles before being appointed Chief Executive in 2017.
Training provider winners included Laverton Community Education Centre, Harvester Technical College and South West TAFE. Employer winners included Border Crane Consultants, Metro Trains Melbourne, Tequa Plumbing & Civil and Melton NextSteps Program.
The event was supported by long-standing principal partner Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) and Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) Australia.
A big congratulations to all winners and finalists, who demonstrated hard work, excellence and dedication to their field, and we wish all winners progressing to the Australian Training Awards in November the best of luck.
Read more about the 2026 Victorian Training Awards winners and finalists.
Read more Victorian Skills Authority news.
Updated