History of the Awards

The awards were developed by the Rotary Club of Renmark in 1983 based on a concern for the lack of recognition given to the outstanding achievements of young apprentices in the Riverland and Mallee. The Club was mindful of the great contribution apprentices made to our region, many of whom would complete their training and go on to employ a whole new generation of apprentices.

The Club started planning a way to identify, select and reward these young people. It soon became apparent that this was going to be a huge project so the Rotary Club turned to local and national businesses seeking sponsorship to turn the idea into a reality. The initial response was overwhelming and for 41 years the ongoing generosity of a diverse range of sponsors and supporters has enabled these awards to flourish and grow bigger and better each year. For the awards to go beyond this year it is important that the generosity of business continues.

In 2012 the Rotary Club of Berri took on the role of hosting the awards as they were an important step in the development of apprentices and trainees.

The awards are to celebrate the achievements of young people from the Riverland and Mallee region and in doing so acknowledge their vital contributions to our communities.

The Riverland and Mallee Vocational Awards are the largest of their kind in regional Australia which is a fantastic achievement and underscores the hard work not only of apprentices, trainees and students, but also the dedication of the Rotary Club members and the generous and continuing support of both employers and sponsors.

The awards give recognition to the success, endeavour and enthusiasm of young outstanding members of our community.