Some of the industry’s best and brightest electrical apprentices, along with the Trade Teacher of the year, were recognised at the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) 2019 Excellence and Apprentice Awards gala dinner in Brisbane on Thursday 21 November 2019.

The winners of the NECA National apprentice awards this year – Marek Porter (Tas), Alexander Morisset (SA) and Steven Thomas were selected from a highly competitive field of nine exceptional State Apprentice Award winners from across Australia.

“Judging the Apprentice Awards is not easy given the calibre of entrants from across the country,” said Suresh Manickam, CEO NECA.

“Well trained, quality apprentices are the future of our industry. It is encouraging to see the innovation and technical excellence demonstrated by these young, vibrant individuals. The demand for electrical skills is only going to increase as we become more reliant on technology,” he said. “This is an exciting time to be a part of an industry on the cutting edge of evolving technologies such as battery storage and renewables, IoT and automation.”

Winner of the 2019 Trade Teacher Award is Troy Jezierski. As a teacher at NECA Education & Careers in Victoria, Troy has been instrumental in elevating teaching practice through his role in the development of a blended learning model and guiding new teachers as a mentor through the Pipeline program.

Troy is recognised by his students and peers for his ability to align his teaching style to the individual needs of each student, simplify complex theories by providing the necessary ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind technical concepts based on real-world experience and importantly, making learning fun.

For more information on each of the Excellence Award, Apprentice Award and Teacher of the Year Award winners visit the 2019 Awards.