Recognising student excellence at the 2025 Vocational Education Awards

Students across the five industry clusters were recognised at the recent 2025 Vocational Education Student Awards.

The annual ceremony was held at Storey Hall with 25 students receiving an award to acknowledge their outstanding efforts and achievements across the year.

Out of more than 23,000 students, 25 finalists were recognised for their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to their fields. With four main awards sponsored by Rotary International and the Ian Angus OAM Prize:

• VE Student of the Year

• Apprentice of the Year

• Indigenous Student of the Year

• Industry Excellence Award

Read more about our top four award winners below.

Apprentice of the Year - Katherine Crook

Katherine (Kat) Crook is currently completing the Certificate III in Plumbing and was consistently one of the top-performing students in her class, producing work of the highest standard and setting a benchmark for her peers.

Kat's commitment to learning and dedication to helping others grow alongside her impressed her teachers and contributed to her nomination. Kat is breaking barriers and challenging perceptions for the plumbing industry, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse future.

Skilled, driven, passionate and collaborative, Kat is a deserving recipient of the Apprentice of the Year.

Industry Excellence Award - Soheil Afshar

Soheil Afshar has consistently demonstrated exceptional efforts throughout his studies in the Associate Degree of Interior Design and Decoration.

Confronted with the challenge of his prior qualifications not being formally recognised in Australia, Soheil responded with resilience and determination as a mature international student.

Soheil received nominations from multiple teachers and his work has already been acknowledged at a national level, being shortlisted for prestigious awards including the KBDi Student Awards and the DIA Graduate of the Year.

Indigenous Student of the Year - Jett Charles

Jett Charles is a proud Yorta Yorta and Wemba Wemba man whose achievements reflect the power of education to advance self-determination and social justice. His academic success during his Associate Degree in Legal Practice (Paralegal) has been complemented by his leadership in cultural contextualisation projects and thoughtful advocacy.

Jett represented RMIT on the Global Citizenship Challenge study tour in Vietnam, demonstrating his capacity to apply cultural insight and leadership skills on an international stage while advocating for inclusive, global learning.

Jett models integrity, inclusion and service and his authentic and reflective approach in the classroom have helped foster a genuine culture of respect within the program.

VE Student of the Year Award - Jacob Sigabalavu

Jacob Sigabalavu is a Diploma of Project Management student who demonstrates academic excellence, discipline and applied leadership. As a student, Jacob has consistently produced high-quality work that integrates project-management theory with real-world community impact.

Described by his teachers as 'humble, reflective and motivated to apply every new concept to tangible social outcomes', Jacob not only excels within his study at RMIT but in the broader community with national youth advisory and governance roles.

As a Youth Advisor for Youth Enterprises Australia, he has worked collaboratively on projects that developed employment pathways and engagement strategies for young people facing disadvantage.

His inclusive leadership is demonstrated through his work with the Victorian Social Cohesion Youth Reference Group and as Vice President of the Fijian Community Association of Victoria, where he facilitates dialogue across diverse cultural groups and builds partnerships between community organisations and government agencies.

Jacob is an exceptional representative of not only RMIT, but of the broader Victorian VET sector.

Reflecting on his win, Jacob said "I am still somewhat shocked to have won this prestigious award and have never seen my parents so happy and proud. It has been fulfilling being able to learn from such supportive RMIT staff who value student-focused collaborative learning."

As for his notes for anyone considering vocational education as an option, Jacob advises, "Don't be afraid to take the next step in your academic career; dream big and get involved in something you're interested in or passionate about."

Full list of VE Student Award Winners

Vocational Education Student of the Year

• Jacob Sigabalavu, Diploma of Project Management

Indigenous Student of the Year

• Jett Gordan Charles, Associate Degree in Legal Practice

Industry Excellence

• Soheil Afshar, Associate Degree of Interior Design and Decoration

Apprentice of the Year

• Katherine Crook, Cert III in Plumbing

Social Care and Health Cluster Winner

• Lisl Dubsky, Diploma in Nursing

Social Care and Health Cluster Runner-Up

• Mohammad Ibrahimi, Diploma of Community Services

Future Technologies Cluster Winner

• Rajeev Jawaji, Associate Degree Information Technology

Future Technologies Cluster Runner-Up

• Ka Yu Wu, Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Civil Engineering Design)

Creative Industries Cluster Winner

• Tansy Bradshaw, Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing

Creative Industries Runner-Up

• Jona David, Cert IV in Professional Writing and Editing

Business and Enterprise Cluster Winner

• Naomi Watts, Diploma of Social Media Marketing

Business and Enterprise Runner-Up

• Anton Amalfi, Dual Diploma of Business & Leadership (Essendon Education Academy)

Built Environment and Sustainability Cluster Winner

• Marc Cerra, Cert III in Electrotechnology (Electrician)

Built Environment and Sustainability Cluster Runner-Up

• Thomas Turcato, Advanced Diploma in Surveying

Highly Commended

• Sophie Habel, Certificate IV in Mental Health

• Laura Lafferty, Certificate IV Allied Health Assistance

• Mohamad Ramlan, Diploma Teacher Education Preparation

• Raghdah Al-Gahdari, Associate Degree Information Technology (Raghdah is unable to join us as they are currently overseas)

• Haonan Guo, Diploma of Information Technology

• Joseph Leahy, Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Mechanical Apprentices)

• Amber Hall, Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing

• Danielle Ross, Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting

• Jade Hallet, Dual Diploma of Business & Leadership (Essendon Education Academy)

• Lachlan Hardy, Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management

• Anastasia Balakis, Advanced Diploma of Building Design Architectural