Damien Aarons turned to GTNT Group – the Northern Territory’s largest not-for-profit provider of employment and training services – when he decided to try for a big step-up in his career.

He had a good job as an electrician at the Wickham Point gas plant on the outskirts of Darwin.

But he wanted more – and, despite being 34 at the time, decided to apply to be an apprentice distribution linesman, which meant he would be working on overhead powerlines throughout the Territory.

Damien was delighted when he was named Apprentice of the Year at the GTNT Group annual awards night.

“GTNT Group were great,” he says. “They arranged all the logistics for my study and carried out regular welfare checks to make sure I was on schedule. They picked up on things before they became a problem.”

There were 49 finalists in 12 categories at the awards ceremony at Mindil Beach Casino Resort on July 3.

Melanie Timber-Trudgett, who has wanted to be chef since helping her mum Jodie cook as a very young girl, was named School-based Trainee of the Year.

She is in year 12 at Marrara Christian College and works at the Northern Territory’s award-winning Pee Wee’s at the Point restaurant in Darwin on Wednesdays and weekends.

Melanie, who prepares the entrees, says standards are high at such a leading restaurant and attention to detail is crucial.

She is in the second year of a four-year Certificate III of Commercial Cookery and one day hopes to own her own restaurant in Darwin.

GTNT Group Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Stenson said at the packed ceremony: “Our community depends on our apprentices and trainees but, most importantly, our employers. We deeply value our host businesses and employers who take on an apprentice or trainee – giving them an opportunity to build a career and ensure our community grows with us.”

And GTNT Group’s Employment Services Manager Emma Koerner said: “To our wonderful host businesses, without you creating opportunities within your organisations, Territory apprentices would not have a space to learn and grow to become the skilled workforce the Territory needs.”

Three commendations were acknowledged with the Hot100 Rising Star commendation awarded to Sandon Bott, who works at Bridge Toyota, the Blackbird IT commendation Cody Hodgins of RK Diesel and the GTNT Foundation commendation to GEBIE Civil Construction on Groote Eylandt.

Awards event sponsors were BlackBird IT, Hot100, Mindil Beach Casino Resort, NT News, Master Builders NT, Charles Darwin University – TAFE, MATES in Construction, Bridge Toyota and Gove Toyota, Morton Bros Contracting, NT Build, South-32- GEMCO and WANT Training Services.

Category sponsors were Australian Industry Group – Apprentice and Trainee Centre, Indigenous Skills and Employment Program (NAEN), ISACNT, HIA, Kinetic IT, Power and Water Corporation, NAWIC NT, NT Department of Education, Nyirrunggulung-RISE, Shell Australia, South-32-GEMCO, Territory Generation and YouthWorX NT.

Prize sponsors were Makita, North Australia Media and Mindil Beach Casino Resort.

From these awards, some of the finalists are now showcasing the Territory’s brightest on a different stage. Areeftha Fay-Tull, Cody Hodgins, Oliver King, Melanie Timber-Trudgett, Brandon Marshall, Emily Mackney, Ruby Taylor, the Institute of Skills and Training Australia and the Airport Development Group were finalists at the NT Training Awards in September.