Young Victorian designers awarded

The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) has announced the winners of its 2013 Automotive Design Awards.

Presented by Victorian manufacturing minister David Hodgett last night at Melbourne’s Federation Square, the award-winners include Victorian secondary and tertiary students across three categories based on future car model making and design.

The innovative designs by some of Victoria’s best young automotive designers were judged by representatives from Australia’s three local manufacturers Toyota, Holden and Ford.

They winners were:
Secondary Design: Todd Linnett – Mildura Senior College
Secondary Model: Hamzah Brown – Trinity College, Kew
Secondary Essay: Eddie Gaudernack - Simonds Catholic College
Tertiary Design: Daniel DeBono - RMIT
Tertiary Model: Anthony Farnell – Monash University
Tertiary Essay: Daniel Debono – RMIT
Overseas Scholarship: Kouhei Kawakami – Monash University
Ford Work Experience: Hamzah Brown – Trinity College, Kew
Ford Work Experience: Aman Bhatti – Lavalla Catholic College

Model making and design category winners each receive $3000, with the winners of the essay category and their training organisations receiving $500 from the VACC, the state’s peak industry body which employs more than 400 automotive apprentices and trainees across Victoria and Tasmania.

Minister Hodgett said the level of talent on display at this year’s VACC Automotive Design Awards was highly impressive.

“The quality and quantity of automotive designs is testament to Victoria’s reputation as Australia’s hub for automotive and advanced manufacturing,” he said.

“The VACC Automotive Design Awards is a fantastic opportunity for Victorian students to display their work and have it viewed by prominent members of the Australian automotive industry.

“The Victorian Coalition Government recognises the value of a skilled and creative workforce, and there are a wide variety of vocational training courses available in the automotive sector.”

Hodgett said the Victorian government was investing a record $1.2 billion a year in vocational training, with $4.8 billion to be invested in training subsidies over four years.

He said that as a result of the state government’s increased subsidies for courses related to automotive qualifications, 86 per cent of training delivered in the sector last year took place within the highest levels of government funding subsidy bands and 63 per cent of enrolments were aligned to specialised or ‘in shortage’ occupations.

Despite Ford’s recent confirmation it will cease manufacturing in the state by 2016, Hodgett said Victoria’s automotive sector -- which employs an estimated 103,000 people, accounting for 30 per cent of total industry employment – has a bright future.

“Clearly our state’s automotive manufacturing sector is facing complex challenges, but the Coalition government is committed to supporting the local car industry and encouraging innovation and growth in automotive manufacturing.

“We hope that the students who are involved in the awards can play a major part in the growth of the industry and, from the amazing work displayed through these awards, I am confident that the future of the automotive industry is bright indeed.”

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