Today Lisa McBrien Senior Field Officer Department of Employment, Small Business and Training presented Year 12 student, Lagaau Leaa, her School-based Apprenticeship/Traineeship finalist award from the Queensland Training Awards held back in September for the South East Region.
Lisa McBrien was inspired by meeting Lagaau today and said, “Lagaau was lovely and you can just tell she will be an inspiration to the people around her with such a great outlook on life.”
Currently in Year 12 at Woodridge State High School, Lagaau has a goal at the end this year to graduate Year 12 and study a double degree of a Bachelor of Human Services and a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
123 Grow Childcare Centre hosted Lagaau one day a week as a school-based trainee through RTO, Busy at Work during 2019.
“Throughout my year of completing the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, I was able to obtain an enormous amount of not only experience but also knowledge in the education field; this has enabled me to experience a different career area in education and experience a first-hand account of what an educator is like. Completing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care gave me the courage to pursue a career within education or a field that will allow me to make a difference to the children’s lives.,” Lagaau said.
“This school-based traineeship has helped me in gaining some of the most crucial knowledge and skills needed for my future career and has also helped in increasing my interest in health, particularly human services.”
“Being the second eldest child in a Samoan family has also given me the chance to enhance the skills I’ve gained from my course, as I am responsible for helping my parents with our family commitments. I am expected to set the best example for my younger siblings, and the best way for me to show this is by not taking opportunities for granted, but use them wisely for whatever is ahead of me.”
For Lagaau that includes RTO, Busy at Work as her employer who specialise in managing and mentoring apprentices and trainees, the host employer, 123 Grow who provide her with the on-the-job work, the training organisation delivering the formal study, the school and the support Lagaau.
“Being a trainee at 123 Grow working with professional educators meant that I had to learn new things quickly, from new systems to new procedures, to new ways of approaching others and new ways of working.
“It also meant that I had the chance to take responsibility and lead groups of children of different ages in a variety of activities, with the help of other educators. This VET training gave me the chance to take initiative in asking for further help, and working independently and as a team to achieve something great.”
“The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care allowed me to qualify in an area where I am interested in and most passionate about, and make a difference in the lives of the young children I worked with, but also with other young people and students in school. ” Lagaau said.
