Central Ranges LLEN: 2025 Highlights
Celebrating exceptional impact and young people’s achievements.
As we bring the year to a close, it's a great opportunity to reflect on what has been a busy and rewarding time across the Central Ranges LLEN. This year has been filled with strong collaboration, inspiring student achievements and a shared commitment from schools, industry partners and community stakeholders working together to support young people on their School to Work pathways.
From career expos and industry engagement activities to hands-on learning and pathway planning, 2025 has highlighted the impact that connection and opportunity can have on student confidence and future choices. We are proud of the dedication shown by everyone involved and grateful for the ongoing partnerships that make this work possible.
Our 2025 Year in Review video showcases the outstanding achievements of our students, schools and industry partners, highlighting our commitment to creating pathways that make a real difference for young people. As we head into the end of the year, we hope you enjoy this snapshot celebrating the successes, growth and momentum achieved throughout our region.
A Year of Connection and Opportunity
Central Ranges LLEN delivered a strong and diverse suite of 36 career and pathway activities, reaching an impressive 2,000 students and engaging 147 industry partners across the region. Led by CEO Nicky Leitch, our dedicated team of nine staff members has worked tirelessly to deliver diverse opportunities to help young people thrive and succeed on their school to work journey.
Our delivery encompassed a wide range of activities, including industry tours, careers expos, training interviews, career quick meets, job readiness workshops and targeted school-based initiatives such as Project Ready, alongside our financial literacy program, Dollars and Sense. Together with our flagship event, the Seymour Careers & Jobs Expo, these initiatives gave hundreds of young people direct access to employers, practical career guidance and valuable real-world insights into future pathways.
Key achievements across our program delivery include:
Industry Tours – Four tours engaging 86 students with 12 employers, providing hands-on industry exposure
Career Quick Meets – Two sessions connecting 210 students with 32 employers for direct career conversations
Seymour Careers & Jobs Expo – Our flagship event bringing together 400 students with 40 employers
Training Interviews – Seven sessions connecting 479 students with 53 employers, offering real-world interview experience that builds confidence and employability skills
Vic VICE – Empowering 112 students with career guidance and industry insights
Industry Career Talks – Bringing 47 students together with four industry professionals
Dollars & Sense – Ten financial literacy sessions equipping 160 students with essential money management skills
Ready Steady Careers – Supporting 37 students across two groups to design and develop their career aspirations
Career Networking & Job Readiness – Eight sessions preparing 158 students for workplace success with two employer partners
Avalon AirShow – An exciting opportunity for 44 students from four schools to explore aviation careers
This year we also saw outstanding engagement from employers through work experience and Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) opportunities. Across the year, 181 placements were facilitated, providing young people with hands-on exposure to the workplace, practical skill development and a chance to explore real-world career pathways. These experiences are invaluable in helping students build confidence, clarify career goals and make informed decisions about their next steps, and we sincerely thank the employers who supported these opportunities.
Our Transport Fund continued to break down barriers to education access, supporting 198 students in Lower Hume and 77 students in Sunbury to reach their VET training opportunities. This program ensures that geography never limits a young person's educational prospects.
Project Ready
Our innovative Project Ready program remained strong in 2025, supporting students at risk of disengaging from education. Locally, we worked with seven students at Yea High School and 15 students at Gisborne Secondary College, each supported by two employer partners. Across the Victoria and interstate we had 222 students from 15 schools benefiting from this transformative initiative:
Cobram Anglican Grammar School
Discovery Christian College, Agnes Waters, Qld
Eastern Ranges School in Ferntree Gully
Gisborne Secondary College
Hester Hornbrook Academy – Sunshine, City, Werribee campuses
Kurunjang Secondary College
Kyabram P-12 College
Numurkah College
Padua College
Patterson River Secondary College
Peninsula Specialist College
Terang College
Warrnambool Group: Brauer College, Warrnambool College
Yarrabah School in Aspendale
Yea High School
We're proud to work alongside our partner LLENs in delivering Project Ready statewide: Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN, Campaspe Cohuna LLEN, Frankston Mornington Peninsula LLEN, Gippsland East LLEN, Goulburn Murray LLEN and South West LLEN.
Notable Advocacy: A Seat at the Table
A significant highlight of the year was Central Ranges LLEN's active role in shaping the future of vocational education at a state level. Our CEO, Nicky Leitch, participated in the Victorian Parliament's Inquiry into Student Pathways to In-Demand Industries, representing both VicLLEN and the Loddon Campaspe Region. This provided a vital opportunity to advocate for regional students and discuss how they can better access training and work opportunities in critical sectors like health, construction and community services. Additionally, our CEO presented the successes of the Project Ready program at the national NCVER conference, demonstrating the program's potential to support at-risk students across Australia.
Celebrating Ten Years of Partnership
The Seymour Puckapunyal Youth Partnership marked a significant milestone in 2025, celebrating ten years of collaboration in supporting local youth. Through four base tours, 40 students gained unique insights into defence careers, and two scholarships were awarded to support young people in their educational journey. This enduring partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing diverse pathway opportunities for young people in our region.
Celebrating Excellence: Vocational Education Awards
We were proud to celebrate student achievement through the Vocational Education Awards, presenting 32 awards, along with an additional three awards in partnership with the Mitchell Youth Services - Education Awards. These awards recognised outstanding student commitment and success across the following categories: VET in Schools Achievement, VCE Vocational Major Achievement, Victorian Pathways Certificate Achievement and SBAT Achievement.
From Evelyn Hawk's exceptional dedication in Certificate III Health Assistant at Yea High School to Ryan Kinkade's outstanding commitment to animal care at Sacred Heart College, our award recipients demonstrated the incredible talent and determination present in our region. Students like Bailey Ryan, who progressed from Structured Workplace Learning to a School-Based Apprenticeship and now a full-time carpentry apprenticeship in 2026, embody the transformative power of vocational education.
Some of our 2025 remarkable student highlights included:
Evelyn Hawk (Yea High School) – Recognised for exceptional dedication, resilience and clinical skills in Certificate III Health Assistant studies
Abby Birks (Seymour Flexi) – Successfully completed her SBAT in Individual Support (Aged Care) at Seymour Health and has been accepted into a full-time Nursing course for 2026
Mitchell Perry (Assumption College) – Commenced his Plumbing SBAT in February 2025 and has already completed 26% of required competencies, demonstrating reliability and dedication
Calleigh Mouser (Wallan SC) – Displayed exceptional commitment in Certificate III Beauty Services, demonstrating professionalism and dedication despite living far from campus
Women in Trades – Students from Gisborne Secondary College and Kyneton High School demonstrated incredible community spirit by raising $2,000 for local foodbanks through the auction of a cubby house they built
These awards celebrated students who not only excelled in their studies but also showed resilience, leadership and a genuine passion for their chosen fields. Their achievements reflect the quality of vocational education across our region and the dedication of teachers, trainers and employers who support them.
These results reflect the strength of our partnerships with schools, employers and community organisations, and our shared commitment to supporting young people to build confidence, explore opportunities and transition successfully from school to work.
Recognising Our Employer Champions
Our Employer of the Month program continued to acknowledge the businesses and organisations going above and beyond to support young people across our region. These organisations played a vital role in creating connections, sharing industry insight and opening doors for students as they explore future pathways.
We warmly congratulate our Employers of the Month for 2025:
February – Nestlé
April – Seymour Health
May – Romsey Rideshare
June – Open House Café, Wallan
July – Koala Cherries
August – Minerals Council of Australia
November – Kekeco Childcare
Thank you to each of these employers for your generosity, commitment and willingness to invest in the next generation. Your support makes a real difference in building young people's confidence, skills and understanding of the world of work.
The Power of Partnership
The achievements of 2025 reflect the strength of our partnerships with schools, employers and community organisations. None of this would be possible without the collaboration and commitment of everyone involved. From the educators who champion vocational pathways to the employers who create work placement opportunities, from the community organisations who support our initiatives to the parents and families who encourage their young people to participate – every contribution matters.
Looking ahead to 2026, we're excited to build on this year's momentum. Our focus remains on expanding opportunities for young people in our region, strengthening industry partnerships and developing innovative programs that respond to our community's evolving needs.
"This year, our fantastic team has been privileged to work with over 2,000 students across the Central Ranges," says CEO Nicky Leitch. "From career expos to industry tours, vocational education awards and hands-on work experience, we've delivered diverse opportunities to help young people thrive and succeed. We couldn't have achieved this without our dedicated staff, partners and the incredible students we support. Thank you for your support in 2025."
As we head into the end of the year, we thank our schools, industry partners and community stakeholders for their continued support and collaboration. The Central Ranges LLEN office will close at the end of business on Monday 22 December and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. Outside of this period, individual staff members may be taking additional leave. If you require any assistance or support, please email us at info@centralrangesllen.org.au and your enquiry will be responded to as soon as possible upon our return.
We wish you and your families a safe and joyful Christmas break and look forward to reconnecting in the new year to continue building futures together in 2026.