Community
23 October, 2025
Darcy named TAFE winner
MORTLAKE-BASED electrotechnology apprentice Darcy Hobbs has been named Apprentice of the Year at South West TAFE’s annual Trades Awards.
The Trades Awards, held last Thursday, October 16, celebrate the dedication, skill and achievements of apprentices across the automotive, carpentry, cabinet making, electrical, engineering and plumbing industries.
The evening drew in more than 290 attendees to celebrate their success.
Winning the overall award, Mr Hobbs, who is employed by Rounds Electrical in Mortlake, was recognised for his hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to his studies.
Speaking with Western District Newspapers, Mr Hobbs said he was proud to have been named Apprentice of the Year.
“It’s an honour,” he said.
“It’s good to be recognised – we don’t do these things for awards, but it is good to be recognised when you get them.
“My boss, Corey Rounds, came along for the awards night, so it was a really good night.”
Mr Hobbs said he was coming to the end of his apprenticeship, having started in 2021, and was excited for the next phase of his life.
“It’s been good, and I like doing the electrical work,” he said.
“I’ve always had an interest in how things work, particularly coming off a farm, so I saw electrical work a fair bit and thought I might give it a go.
“I’ve just finished up recently because I’m moving to Western Australia next year but it’s been a smooth ride – it’s been good.”
Mr Hobbs said he had enjoyed his time with TAFE as it provided an opportunity to tailor a comprehensive learning program around apprentices.
“TAFE has been great,” he said.
“On average we do around a week of TAFE every month or two and it’s been great because they can help with what you don’t learn through your apprenticeship.
“It doesn’t matter what field you’re in - TAFE helps to make sure you’re exposed to every aspect of the job.”
South West TAFE chief executive officer Mark Fidge said it was important to recognise the skills of students in the region.
“Awards like these highlight the amazing things our trades students and their employers are doing in our own community,” he said.
Mr Fidge said he was pleased to be able to reward and recognise this year’s apprentices for their hard work.
“It’s great for the apprentices to hear about the achievements of each of our top award winners and be inspired to continue to achieve outstanding results,” he said.
As well as awards for the top students in each year level, commemorative awards were also presented to outstanding students dedicated to their trades.
Major award winners on the night included:
Automotive Apprentice of the Year: Marcus Flook (Warrnambool);
Cabinet Making Apprentice of the Year: Sonny Bell (Warrnambool);
Carpentry Apprentice of the Year: Chester Willder (Hamilton);
Fabrication Engineering Apprentice of the Year: Todd Wiseman (Portland);
Mechanical Engineering Apprentice of the Year: Toby Pride (Warrnambool), and
Plumbing Apprentice of the Year: Jack Goodall (Warrnambool).
Read More: Mortlake