Cathy Buckmaster, manager of the business development unit at the Illawarra Institute of TAFE, told the graduates at a ceremony on Tuesday evening at the Merimbula RSL Club that the importance of vocational skills was widely recognised by employers, governments, the media and the community.

"For students, it is recognition of the tremendous effort and work put into achieving a qualification in their chosen career," she said.

"For the institute, this ceremony provides the opportunity to recognise the efforts of both students and our staff and the rewards their work has brought them.

"The Institute works closely with key business and community organisations to ensure that our training is relevant to industry needs and that the skills of our graduates match job opportunities.

"We are proud to be the leading provider of vocational education and training with nearly 40,000 students enrolled each year across the region.

"Tonight we will have the pleasure of meeting some who have already achieved recognition for their skills and successes in their chosen careers," Ms Buckmaster said.

Her comments were supported by the guest speaker, Bega campus accounting procedures Outstanding Achievement student and former teacher, Bertrand Irons.

"After 38 years of teaching high school mathematics I decided to retire, but what should I do in retirement?" he asked.

"Education had been a part of almost every year of my life so, in 2006 I became a student again, this time doing my ABCs (Accounting, Bookkeeping and Computing) at Bega TAFE.

"I can tell you that I really appreciated my TAFE experience as I met a lot of really nice people in an atmosphere where everyone wanted to learn.

"Being a student allowed me to experience and appreciate the pressures and concerns of a student again, something easily forgotten, even by teachers.

"Very surprisingly at the end of 2006 I was asked to consider coming back and teaching mathematics to Year 11 and 12 students.

"So, when I retire again, TAFE will be in my sights. Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy person has no time to form," he said.

Presentation of certificates

Faculty of Business, Arts and Information Technology

Accounting Procedures Certificate II

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Bertrand Irons, Donna Cotter, Timothy Krucler, Vicki Lineham, Narelle O'Connell, Jessica Stevens, Tania Toering, Shannon Whitford.

Business Certificate II: Melissa Apps, Lauren Dawson, Jenna Pearce, Alicia Schaefer, Melissa Whittaker.

Business Administration Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: James Dangers, Donna Davis, Cheryle Downs, Hannah Johnston, Tennille Roberts, Joanne Stevens, Pamela Tacheci.

Business Administration Certificate IV: Julie Becker, Jacqueline Whitby, Cheryl Wills, Sonia Young.

Business (Legal Administration) Certificate III: Alison Boyle, Amanda Davidson, Ashley Goward, Sarah Stevens.

Computer Applications for the Office Certificate II

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Kerry Lovelock, Charles Aggenbach, Sandra Ahkin, Christie Collins, Lynette Foreman, Robert Kidd, Kerryl Mckee, Lesley Shaddel, Renee Smith, Narelle Spence, Joanne Stoddard, Lisa Van Der Velde, Helen Willburger, Julianne Williams.

Local Government Certificate III

(Governance and Administration): Lisa Bosson, Janelle Sturt.

Local Government Certificate II (Operational Works): Elle Zimmerle, Ben Cogan, Aaron McMahon.

Training and Assessment Certificate IV: Christopher Ball, Jacinta Battista, Jamie Carrett, William Cottrell, Pamela Cox, Linda Milliner, Annette Nichols, Jane Olsen, Catherine Reilly, Steven Savage, Anne Warburton, Trevor Wilson, Troy Wilson.

Information Technology Certificate II: Phillip Stevenson, Richard Woffinden.

Information Technology Certificate III (Software Applications): Joshua Donaldson, Eileen Irons, Candida Lynch.

Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Rose Chaffey, Neva Castellarin, Susan Cleverley, Janet Collingridge, Susi Kleber, Karren Langenhorst, Veronica Murphy, Georgia Partridge, Monica Phillips, Tanya Salter, Victoria Sherwin, Elizabeth Walker.

Faculty of General Education and Equity Programs

General and Vocational Education (CGVE) Certificate II: Holley Alexander, Lisa Dykes, Rex Langenhorst, Jasmine Thornton.

Tertiary Preparation Certificate IV

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Janice Brown, Mitzi Hyland, Celeste Kelly.

Foundation and Vocational Education Certificate I: Jason Dixon.

Faculty of Human Services, Tourism and Hospitality

Aged Care Work Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Gail Burn, Rachel Aucote, Kristy Butt, Jade Carpenter, Sara Doyle, Angela Fraser, Lori Gray, Cassandra Jackson, Dianne Jones, Janet Maybury, Debbie McDonald.

Children's Services Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Connie Walker, Cindel Buckley, Emily Carroll, Susanne Chandler, Therese Halligan, Catherine Jarasius, Gemma Jones, Wendy-Rose Leser, Catherine McGrath, Jessica O'Brien, Alexandra Peters, Ingrid Stevens, Michelle Vandermey, Ann Williams.

Children's Services Diploma: Annette Turner.

Community Services Work Certificate IV

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Alison Murdoch, Heather Cameron, Kellie Edwards, Sandra Gill Kelly, Emily Madden, Anne-Maree Martin, Gunther Meessmann, Kate Moorhead, Dianne Rees, Colleen Stewart.

Community Welfare Work Diploma

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Ozlem Guler, Janet Gouvernet, Rachel Jones, Catherine Van Remmen.

Disability Work Certificate IV: Kenneth Cole.

Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Cara Jory, Kaylene Cocks, Joshua Drinkwater, Edwin Hankinson, Daniela Mansfield, Christian Peters, Justin Slade, Wade Woolhouse.

Hospitality (Operations) Certificate II: Victoria Cole, Joyce Mongta.

Hospitality (Operations) Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Naomi Harris-Boughton, Rosannah Ball, Hayley Douch, Luzminda Fielding, Sharon Grant, Cassie King, Maryanne Koning, Rebecca Lowe, Karen Reed, Aaron Saxton, Kate Smith, Jodi Spindler, Vanessa Viskovich, Clayton Wood, Braydon Zirkler.

Tourism (Operations) Certificate III

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Andrew Ricardo, Gregory Britten, Emily Carroll, Victoria Cole, Kellie Egerton, Cassie King, Katrina Lee, Kaylene Lewis, Rebecca Lowe, Candice Och, Shaynee Tranter, Georgia-Mae Yewdall.

Faculty of Trades and Technology

Agriculture Certificate IV: Lloyd Clark.

Agriculture (Dairy Production) Certificate III: Jonathan Barker, Charles Lucas, Scott Tozer.

Automotive Certificate I: Christopher Myers, Samuel Abernethy, Jacob Allen, Kyle Campbell, Daniel Curtis, Joshua Fuller, Joshua Goward, Mark Hay, Ben Parson, Stephen Peters, Shaun Taylor, William Wheatley, Damon Wildsoet.

Engineering - Fabrication Trade Certificate III: Brendan Alcock, Christopher Carlin, Adrian Elliott, Lukas Nutt, Brendan Tye, Shane Wakeford.

Engineering - Production Certificate II: Steven Marotzek.

Conservation and Land Management Certificate II (General Land Management): Julie Higman.

Food Processing Certificate III: Bonnie Alker.

Horticulture Certificate II

Certificate for Outstanding Achievement: Dirk Lejeune, Rachel Cole, Ascher Gatley, Ellen Green, Rex Langenhorst, Lesley Merry, Teresa Miller, Joanne Mitchell, Victoria Smith, Catherine White, Garry Williams.

Open Training and Education Network (OTEN)

The Open Training and Education Network (OTEN) is a major provider of distance education and open learning in Australia.

OTEN delivers TAFE programs and secondary school courses.

The following student has completed her studies with OTEN, in conjunction with OTEN, the following certificate is presented:

Faculty of Business, Arts and Technology

Diploma of Business: Kerrie Jones.

Special Awards

Sue Boag Memorial Award of Endeavour and Dedication to Studies This award is to perpetuate both her memory and those ideals and was won by her son, Will Boag.

Herb Parbery Memorial Award for Pride of Workmanship Award donated by Rotary Club of Bega: Cara Jory.

Curly Annabel Memorial Award for Pride of Workmanship Award donated by Rotary Club of Bega: Victoria Cole.

Sapphire Coast Tourism Award donated by Sapphire Coast Tourism: Georgia Mae Yewdall.

Human Services Achievement Award donated by Retravision: Catherine Van Remmen.

Encouragement Award donated by Bega Business Systems: Alison Boyle.

ITSA Encouragement Award donated by Illawarra TAFE Student Association: Brendan Aucote.

Outstanding performance in Vocational Education and Training Award donated by South Coast Workplace Learning Incorporated, TVET Tourism Studies: Marina Wilson.

During 2006 the following students also completed studies at Bega campus and have already been presented with their certificates or statements of Attainment.

Access

Employment Skills: Emily Brown, Gerald McDonald, Katherine Melia-Geary.

ESOL: Eronimo Balevinaka, Somrit Bond, Hyang Nyeo Chang, Beata Denkiewicz, Reiko Healy, Kye Sun Jamieson, Lill Lu, Sachiyo Lund, Jing Mo, Saichin Nuntiwat, Carmen Pikoss, Hartmut Pikoss, Myriam Rigley, Elizabeth Shumack, Dewi Symon, Larysa Terry, Rabgyi Thupten, Lourdes Twyford, Hui Ping Xu.

Faculty of Business, Arts and Technology

Bookkeeping: Sarah Batten, Bertrand Irons, Saichin Nuntiwat, Shane Pearce, Rhonda Sheehy, Renee Smith, Jodie Stewart, Kristi Wright.

Business Skills: Julie Becker, Dale Jessup, Cheryl Kemp, Agnes McCallum, Marc Royle, June Treloar, Jacqueline Whitby, Natasha Yelds.

Computer Accounting: Alexia Marshman, Victoria Smith, Lourdes Twyford.

Computers A First Course

Joanne Bismire, Elizabeth Browne, Ian Burns, Margaret Carson, Dean Farthing, David Handran-Smith, Faith Hergenhan, Vicki Kennaugh, Janet Kieltyka, Jenniffer Krucler, Joyce Ladd, Cylie Lindner, Kerryl McKee, Rhys Morgan, Sandra Mullaney, Carole Neumann, Kay Norfolk, Brian Poyzer, Myriam Rigley, Rita Roberts, Valerie Russell, Peter Ryall, Lilia Smith, Noni Stanborough, Gabrielle Taysom, William Waterson, Patricia Whyman, Ronald Wilby.

Small Business Management: Brett Evans, Travis Kelly, Kristy Knight, Bradley Munckton, Narelle Munckton, Sallyann Noack, Jennifer Russell, David Scott, Vicki Taylor.

Information Technology (Digital Photography): Alicia Ardern, Carol Buchanan, Barry Chambers, Cheryl Checkley, Peter Collins, Veronica Coman, Alicia Connolly, John Dedman, Amberley Dunshea, Celia Farquharson, Barbara Gough, Kay Hallen, Joseph Harper, Joelle Horan, Debrah Howard, Anthony MacNamara, Rowena McConnell, Susan McCulloch, Mary McFarlane, Lesley Merry, Debra Morris, Belinda Nunn, Peter Otton, Nicole Pearce, Karen Peters, Lynette Peters, Joan Roberts, Maxine Salt, Stanley Tetley, Margaret Underhill, David Wood.

Skills and Practices - Fine Arts: Raje Chapman, Virginia Comer-Kleine, Leah Elliott, Adriana Groot, Ozlem Guler, Lois Irwin, Leanne Kerrison, Cecilia Ng, Danielle Pirrie, Cynthia Powell, Annie Ray, Christa Rehwinkel, Elizabeth Smallwood, Aya Smith, Nancy Spicer, Diana Tarrant, Lyne Tremblay, Susan Wood.

Faculty of General Education and Equity Programs

Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Alicia Alfaro, Jorge Alfaro, Arna Altoft, Sylvia Altoft, Suzzanne Anderson, Paulene Andrews, Alysha Barnes, Anna Bell, Natalie Brosnan-Young, Charmaine Campbell, Terry Collins, Samantha Earnshaw, Janneice Edwards, Sandra Edwards, Martyn Fitzclarence, Allan King, Glen King, Gary Krucler, Karen Love, Lucas Marshall, Katie Melia-Geary, Shane Norris, Jessica Pratt, Colleen Reilly, Valda Strickland, Keith Waterson, Michael Waterson, William Waterson.

Literacy Tutoring (Schools Volunteering Tutoring): Megan Bentley, Esther Colson, Kathleen Davidson, Siobhan Doyle, Amandine Faggotter, Bethany Gersbach, Nicole Golightly, Amy Griffin, Brydie Hilton, Rylee Longford, Abbey Mann, Luke Martin, Errol McGovern, Christiane Partl, Ashley Perry, Tiffany Pryor, Kelly Robinson, Daina Savage, Aaron Vandermey, Hannah Webb, Isabelle Wentworth, Lisa Williams.

Faculty of Human Services, Tourism and Hospitality

Baking Skills: Patricia Beasley, Peter Goodall, Carol Healey, Dana Krucler, Julie Magurren, Jessica Menz, Karen Pryor, Tiffany-Jane Pryor, Sheryl Toms.

Faculty of Trades and Technology

Manufacturing and Engineering: Jeffery Adams, Steve Akers, Christopher Alcock, Brendan Aucote, Matthew Bashford, Rodney Berry, Luke Bond, David Braunack, Alan Brown, Patrick Buckley, Nathan Bunney, Alan Butler, Ross Cameron, Mikail Casali, John Clancey, Byron Collins, Bruce Davis, Richard Dawson, David Dowling, Andrew Duchesne, Mathew Elphick, Lotte Eriksen, Stanton Fitchett, Martyn Fitzclarence, Lee Freeman, Steven Galli, Russell Garner, Robert Gordijn, Michael Gregory, Stephen Gregory, David Grejsen, Matthew Griffin, David Hall, Ross Hammond, Stephen Hardiman, Leigh Harris, Blake Hayward, Kim Hayward, Irwin Heaton, Laurice Herbert, Susan Hergenhan, David Hof, Matthew Hof, Terrence Hooper, Raymond Humphries, Colin Hurlstone, Steven Hutcheson, Matthew Inskip, Sarah Johnson, Russell Kerton, David Klotz, Richard Koning, Justin Lawler, Margot Lawler, Rory Lawler, Ross Levido, Duncan MacKinnon, David Matheson, Michael Maxworthy, Guy McGovern, Raymond McGovern, Evan McGrath, John McGrath, Norman McIntyre, Timothy Mitchell-Davis, Quinn Morrison, Owen O'Neill, Paul Parker, Gordon Pattenden, Craig Potter, William Pryor, Neil Pulle, Luke Ryan, Linda Sang, Michael Schelfhout, Brett Scott, Kylie Scott, Martin Sims, Jason Smith, Terry Smith, Graham Stafford, Harriett Swift, Hans Theile, Philip Thompson, Andrew Thorpe, Colin Tyrrell, Steve Urquhart, Matthew Valencic, Alan Watt, Peter Wheatley, Frederick Whiter, James Wood, George Zuev.

Rural Production Studies: Todd Carroll, Robert Chittick, Ivan Cowling, Kerrin Dow, Graeme Gerrard, Karen Peters, George Spindler, Katalin Batke.