My Name is Matthew Booth and in July this year I was awarded VET in Schools Student of the Year 2022 at the NSW Training Awards held in Coffs Harbour.
I am currently studying my HSC at Newman College including Certificate ll in Business and Certificate lll in Retail.
My Business Services teacher nominated me for the State Training Awards due to my application and dedication to my learning. I never would have imagined that this course would set me up to be successful in being selected to represent my region in this category but here I am – the 2022 VET in Schools Student of the Year North Coast & Mid North Coast Region.
Whilst Business Services was not my first choice, I soon realised that my skills and interests were suited to the business environment. I enrolled into the Business Services course late after a change of subject, realising Early Childhood Education and Care was not the career for me. I was determined to make this pathway work and have found I am more suited to Business Administration as I have been able to complete work in my own time, with the resources the teacher provided and now I am studying alongside the rest of the class.
I have gained so much from this VET course. My career path has been set, I have discovered that my abilities and strengths are in the business world. I have also gained the foundational skills that will help to set me up and provide me with so many opportunities and choices for my future.
Having been given the workplace learning opportunities in this industry, I have gained confidence in knowing that I have the skills and talent to pursue a career in Business.
The flexibility of VET and the Workplace Learning Program has allowed me to discover my career path, giving me the opportunity to change courses and gain an insight into industries that I thought I was suited to, and some in reality were not what I had expected.
Business goes hand-in-hand with my second VET subject, Retail Services. I have had the opportunity to do workplace learning in varied retail outlets and worked in business offices and the skills and abilities required cross over or compliment the two qualifications.
My Certificate II Business qualification will provide me with the skills I will require to pursue a career in Computer Technology and this will be a another measure of my success but for the meantime I am very proud to have achieved the VET in Schools Student of the Year title for 2022.