Yanco Agricultural High School captain Dominic Edwards and his trainer Luke Collins at the NSW Training Awards. Photo: Yanco Agricultural High School Facebook.
Yanco Agricultural High School captain Dominic Edwards has been named the 2025 VET in Schools Student of the Year.
The 17-year-old does not come from an agriculture background, but his passion for agriculture and the red meat industry, and support from his trainer, has brought him a long way.
Region caught up with him to find out what’s next on his agenda, who his role models have been and the challenges he’s had to overcome in his agriculture journey.
How did you earn the VET (vocational education and training) in Schools Student of the Year award?
I’m at Yanco and I’m currently completing my Certificate III in Agriculture. I was nominated by my trainer Luke Collins, and then had to go through an application and interview process.
What’s next on your agenda?
After that regional award, it goes on to state awards. I have a state interview coming up in a few weeks’ time, and beyond that, the VET course and VET training as a whole has set me up with a really secure pathway for the future within agriculture.
Which part of agriculture do you enjoy the most?
The beef cattle and the red meat industry as a whole. Here in Yanco, we’ve got a show and stock program where we show steers in a number of shows, as well as a stud cattle program, where we’ve got about 50 shorthorn breeders at the moment. I’ve been able to see a lot of different perspectives from producers to breeders, as to different areas the industry has to offer.
Was it a challenge?
Yeah, everyone in my class has a connection to agriculture to some extent. But I think the biggest thing that I’ve found is that you can get just about anywhere by being passionate. I’m extremely passionate about agriculture and about the red meat industry. And my trainer was super helpful; he sort of pushed me along every step of the way. He chucks me straight in the deep end with a bit of guidance and hand holding and helped me develop a really well-rounded skill set.
Were there any role models that helped you along the way?
I would say my trainer is a big role model for me. I have some really good chats with him about his background in the beef industry, and just the way he grew up.
And also another man by the name of Jono Spence from South Australia. He came from a similar background as me. He grew up in Adelaide, with little to no connection to agriculture, and he’s now one of the leading stock and station agents in South Australia.
Would you recommend the VET programs to other people?
I’d recommend a VET course to just about anybody. I found that it’s given me a really strong purpose in something that I wanted to do, and it’s given me the confidence to go into the industry and make a difference.
About the awards
The NSW Training Awards celebrate the best of vocational education and training (VET) in NSW and are the premier VET awards in the state.
They are conducted annually by Training NSW within the NSW Department of Education to recognise outstanding achievement in the vocational education and training sector.
