Rutherford headquartered Hunter Valley Training Company (HVTC) has taken out one of only four awards at the 2014 National Group Training Association (GTA) Awards.

One of its trainees, Samantha Tindiglia, won School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year.  Samantha is an 18-year-old Year 12 student at Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, employed by HVTC and hosted by the Care-Ring Children’s Centre at Goonellabah.

HVTC had two finalists at the awards, the most of any training company. Nathan Anderson, who is a warehousing trainee employed by HVTC and hosted by Centennial Coal’s Myuna Mine was a finalist for Indigenous Apprentice/Trainee of the Year category, after winning the state award in October.

HVTC CEO Sharon Smith, who was at the national awards to support the finalists, said HVTC apprentices and trainees had enjoyed tremendous accolades over the past year. She said in the past three months alone HVTC and its employees had won nine major awards and had many more finalists across seven award events.

HVTC Hunter trainee Joshua Lodge (hosted by Origin Energy) is a finalist in the National Training Awards in Adelaide later this month. Nathan Anderson also took out the Australian Mining Prospects Young Achiever of the Year Award last month.

“The success of our apprentices and trainees is a credit to their work ethic as well as the expert support they receive from our field staff and their host employers,” Sharon said.

“I am very proud that our Hunter company is leading the way nationally in its field of expertise.”

Image | Samantha being interviewed by the GTA national conference MC and journalist, Ellen Fanning,