By Margaret Carey

Harrison Forde was successful in being awarded the new scholarship through Country Education Foundation of Australia, the James N. Kirby-CEF VET Scholarship.

This is a new scholarship valued at $3,000, designed to relieve financial pressure for students completing vocational education qualifications and keep them on their path to career success, becoming those highly valued tradespeople.

Harry relocated at the start of the year to Orange to take up an apprenticeship as a heavy diesel mobile plant technician. He is completing his TAFE studies at Dubbo, doing a week block every six weeks.

Like most of our first-year recipients, Harry has had many changes this year: moving into a share house, working up to 55 hours per week and then the TAFE blocks up in Dubbo. Harry said he has had to learn to to be fully independent, including household chores, managing his budget and developing new financial skills, sometimes through trial and error.

He has had to make decisions about playing sport; to prioritise staying in one piece so he can do his job. Harry says he loves working on the big machines, having great support at work where he feels he learns something new every day. Being able to learn on the job is a great way to gain qualifications and to support the learning we do at TAFE.

Harry says the scholarship will help cover the rent and give him that opportunity to buy his own tools, decent ones, and stop using tools of the other workers which can be a bit testing at times!

Harry’s success is another example of the value of the CEF of Grenfell scholarships to our recipients. It opens a pathway to so much more support through CEFA. The next round of co-funding is coming through for VET students.

We love seeing our young people’s success and progress on their chosen pathways.