 The Queensland Training Awards are all about celebrating excellence in the vocational education and training area. I think you need to celebrate your training when you've all said and done and it's finished. You know, be recognised for the effort that you've put in. Oh, this means a lot, you know, for all of these people who are being recognised tonight. The Queensland Training Awards are an opportunity to celebrate what the contribution is of vocational education, not just to the individuals and businesses, but to our state as a whole. It's the landmark where we get a chance to hear about all the wonderful stories of the individuals, what they've managed to do with their careers and their learning, and what it is that they bring to their local communities. Vocational education and training is critical to building the skills of Queensland's workforce and a skilled workforce builds the productivity of Queensland's economy. We love the Training Awards because it's the best initiative of recognising outstanding practice and so it benchmarks everything we do. I think the awards play a really important role in building awareness around the impact of the VET sector. Certainly as you look at the award, finalists and winners tonight, it reflects the great diversity of our community and our economies across Queensland. What leads us to want to sponsor such an award is that we have a firm belief in the importance of vocational education and training in this state. Everyone's a winner. First of all, the students who come out with great skills, but also the employers from industry and of course the state and eventually the whole of Australia. The whole of the evening is just noting the wonderful skills that have been on display, the enthusiasm of the nominees, the commitment to training, the VET system in Queensland. It's been a wonderful occasion. I'm feeling really excited and good about myself. Biggest tip, you know, if you want the awards, you've got to get out and do it. You need to realise if they're willing to put in the effort, it definitely pays off in the long run. I am over the moon. There's no other explanation for it. I'm feeling pleased with myself. I'm a single mum and I'm trying to teach my children to follow in my lead, to follow education. It gives you the oomph you need because it's recognising what you're doing. You're not just going to school and having a go. You know, somebody is saying, love the way you're having a go. I think award programs like the Queensland Training Awards are vital to acknowledge the hard work of our apprentices and our trainees and to also acknowledge the work that the trainers and the employers do. It's a great jobs pathway and we need to acknowledge those successes. It definitely is recognising the people that put in the hard work and dedication to their employer. And I think not only should you be proud of yourself, but your employer should be proud of you. Look, I'm really passionate about this for me. It's the power of knowledge. It's the power of education that changes lives. And when we go out into the communities, when we go and meet the students and the teachers and you hear their stories, to me, there's nothing better than being in the industry. There's nothing better from a TAFE Queensland point of view than the ability to help someone succeed in their dreams. Oh, it means a massive amount. Just to know that everything that I put into my training has paid off as well and that it's led me into the future that I am going into now. I'm doing occupational therapy at uni and that traineeship and to be recognised is just amazing. Give it a go. Don't be scared. Like, if you believe that you are delivering unique, exemplary, innovative training in the community as a small employer, meeting a large employer, or as a community initiative or collaborative initiative, give it a go. Put your application forward. Give it a try. It's been an exercise in examining what we do as a business and how important training is to us. I encourage everyone who wants to try initially just to see what is it about. Just go in the website, read what the questions are, what is it about, what is the criteria to get in. You will have a story to tell. Oh, definitely give it a go. Even if you don't have that much confidence in yourself, the Queensland Training Awards gives you that confidence. Do it. Just enter and step up and be proud and do it for, not just yourself, but do it for other people who are struggling to try and create partnerships and trying to create opportunities for students or whoever they might be because it's all worth it and we're all here to help each other out so that we all succeed in life and we're all happy and without internal happiness we don't have success and we all need to work together and go Queensland.