Students, teachers, industry sponsors and supporters are celebrating today as the winners of the annual Aerospace Industry Education Awards are announced during a ceremony at Aviation Australia’s aircraft training hangar, Brisbane airport.
The awards, now in their 18th year, continue to recognise the efforts and achievements of students and teachers from the participating Aerospace Gateway to Industry Schools across Queensland.
The Aerospace Gateway to Industry Schools project is supported by more than 30 aerospace industry partners, including global brands and industry leaders who generously lend their support to these prestigious awards.
The Gateway to Industry Schools Aerospace project is funded by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and proudly hosted by Aviation Australia. This project gives students the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills required to enter the exciting aviation and aerospace industry.
At today’s ceremony, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said the Queensland Government was committed to supporting good people into good jobs like those offered in the aerospace sector.
“The recently launched Queensland Workforce Strategy aims to ensure Queensland has the workforce to support growth, strengthen communities and keep the state at the forefront of new economic opportunities,” Minister Farmer said.
“We are doing this through a broad range of initiatives including our highly successful Gateway to Industry Schools Program, with Aviation Australia playing a key role leading the program’s aerospace project.
“Aviation Australia has also secured funding from the latest round of the Queensland Government’s School to Work Transitions Program to deliver ‘job ready’ training programs to allow successful candidates to be employed in aviation trades assistance roles,” she said.
The Project Manager for the Aerospace Gateway to Industry Schools Program Natalie Allen said there were 137 applications this year from 16 participating Aerospace Gateway Schools across Queensland.
“We were thrilled to fly in regional school students for the first time since 2019, thanks to Jetstar and Virgin Australia,” Mrs Allen said.
“We introduced our newest award category this year, Aerospace Gateway School of the Year, sponsored by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
“This award recognises a school that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to aerospace education through their active involvement in program initiatives, creative contextualised learning opportunities for students and continuous exposure to aerospace career possibilities,” she said.
The following winners were announced:
Year 10 Aerospace Award – Sponsored by GE Aerospace
Future Aerospace Award sponsored by Australian Youth Aerospace Association
Year 11 Aerospace Award sponsored by Qantas
Young Aviator Award sponsored by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (Australian Region) & Aviation Australia
Young Innovator Award sponsored by TAE Aerospace
Spirit of Boeing Award sponsored by Boeing Defence Australia
Year 12 Aerospace Award sponsored by Airbus Australia Pacific
Year 12 Aerospace Project Award sponsored by the Royal Aeronautical Society
Aeroskills Scholarship sponsored by Boeing Defence Australia
Female Aerospace Scholarship sponsored by Boeing Defence Australia
Female Empowerment Award sponsored by Griffith Aviation in the School of Engineering and Built Environment
Aerospace Gateway School of the Year sponsored by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Teacher Excellence Award sponsored by Boeing Defence Australia, GE Aerospace & Northrop Grumman Australia
It is students like these, whose passion for aerospace will see them continue their training and education to take up professions in the industry.
Students can pursue their passion because we have dedicated educators who are inspiring their students to reach for the sky and strive for their career in aerospace.
For Aerospace Gateway to Industry School enquiries, please contact:
Natalie Allen, Project Manager, Aerospace Gateway Schools
0436 838 112 | [email protected]