Sandra George with the first recipient of The Sandra George Manufacturing Award, Chau Do Van. 40358
By Lia Bichel
A VIETNAMESE refugee took home the first ever Sandra George Manufacturing Award presented by the South East Melbourne Manufacturers’ Alliance Inc (SEMMA).
Chau Do Van from the Chisholm Institute received his award at a Christmas cocktail evening last week.
The Sandra George Manufacturing Award was one of two $2000 awards designed to provide financial assistance to people wishing to pursue a manufacturing related course at Chisholm Institute of TAFE.
Chisholm TAFE Manager of Manufacturing and Engineering Noel Sutcliffe nominated Mr Do Van for the award.
Mr Sutcliffe said Mr Do Van had a “rough trot” after arriving in Australia from Vietnam and deserved a fair chance in the manufacturing industry.
“He got a job in an industry where they took complete advantage of him, working him overtime and not paying him or making him do jobs he was not qualified for. When he spoke up he lost his job,” Mr Sutcliffe said.
“He has since done part-time work at Chisholm TAFE and has worked extremely hard and made amazing progress. Some of the machinery he has set up in the laboratory is sensational. His work is of high standard and he has fantastic work etiquette.
“This scholarship will help him finish his advanced diploma and get him back on track.”
SEMMA presented the award last week at an end of year event to celebrate ‘surviving and thriving’ 2009 and will announce the recipient of the second award at a later date.
As 2009 ends and 2010 approaches, SEMMA executive officer Paul Dowling said the board engaged the specialist services of Max Knight to benefit the community, regional manufacturing employment and the sustainability of manufacturing in general.
Mr Dowling said part of Mr Knight’s role would be to assist in the compilation of a regional manufacturing capabilities database which he will do in collaboration with existing government and non-government organisations.
“The board has made this conscious decision to commit the vast financial resources needed to fund this project in recognition that this region is heavily reliant on manufacturing, which accounts for 34 per cent of employment within the City of Greater Dandenong alone,” he said.
“There is also the need to quickly stimulate local business and employment opportunities to ensure a quick and sustainable recovery from the GFC.”
