The Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club is proud to partner with Group Training Employment to offer a $5000 apprentice scholarship for 2024/25.


The Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club GTE Apprentice Scholarship aims to assist traditional trade apprentices from the Limestone Coast who have demonstrated hardship in their personal circumstances and aptitude in vocational education and training, to achieve their potential by successfully completing their trade training.


Lakes Rotary Club President Marian Hodson said the scholarship was designed to help members of the local community.


“As a club we feel it is important that we recognise some of the struggles our young people are going through and that we do our best to offer them support to achieve their goals in spite of some of the barriers they may be facing,” she said.


The scholarship is open to any apprentice who is employed with any of GTE’s host employers and is undertaking any year of their apprenticeship during 2024/25.


“The financial support the scholarship provides is intended to be used by the recipient to reduce the burden of costs associated with undertaking their trade, such as travel for work and/or training, tools, maintaining reliable transport, living away from home expenses, etc,” Ms Hodson said.


“At a time when the cost of living is on the rise, the introduction of this scholarship has great relevance to the current situation facing many of our community’s young workers.”


GTE General Manager Greg Megaw welcomed the partnership.


“At GTE we understand very well the struggles that can be faced by anyone in the undertaking of an apprenticeship,” he said.


“Our goal is to provide opportunities for employment and training of apprentices and trainees to meet skills and labour needs in the South East.


“Having our apprentices safely complete their apprenticeship and gain their qualification is our highest priority. For individuals this is not always easy and as a company we provide a lot of support to our workers, giving them the best chance of getting through successfully.


“We are fortunate to be in a position to do this and the support our workers receive may not normally be available if they were employed elsewhere.


“We pride ourselves on the role we play within our community and to have the Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club offer this scholarship will make a significant difference to someone who may one day be training our next generation of apprentices.”


Mr Megaw is only the fourth general manager GTE has had during its 35 plus years of operation.


The first was the late Rob James from 1985-1990, who also later served as the Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club president.


His widow and current Lakes Rotary Club member Colleen was proud of the new scholarship.


“Rob would be really chuffed that this is happening and that Lakes Rotary is contributing, both as being past General Manager of GTE and a President of Lakes Rotary,” she said.


“I know he would be very impressed with seeing the change and growth in GTE and the organisation that it has become. It is just wonderful that we can join together and offer this opportunity to make a positive difference to a young person in our community.”


The Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club GTE Apprentice Scholarship is an addition to many of the club’s other community offerings such as sports scholarships for local residents and science and engineering-based programs for primary and secondary school students.


The club also oversees the Australia Day Breakfast and Blue Lake Fun Run, with all money raised stays in the local community.


Rotary is also involved in numerous charities on a global level.


If this has inspired you to think about what you could do to help your community, you may want to consider joining the Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club as a member.


Contact secretarylakesrotary@outlook.com for more information.


For more information on the Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club GTE Apprentice Scholarship, including eligibility criteria and nomination forms, contact GTE WHS and Compliance Officer Charlie Matthews by phone 8721 2345 or email charlie@gte.org.au.


Scholarship nominations will close June 19 at 5pm.