Ex-Don College Graduate Jan Richards has been recognised as a finalist in the 2020 Tasmanian Young Achiever of the Year Awards for the Colony 47 Transition to Work award.

Whilst at Don College Jan completed multiple certificates including Certificate III in Hospitality and Certificate II in Community Services (Focus on Children’s Services) and before her Year 12 education was finished she was able to secure herself a traineeship at a local Child Care Centre to complete her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

The Colony 47 Transition to work award is about acknowledging young Tasmanians that have been able to use their initiative to break into the work force by undertaking further education, upskilling, gaining valuable experience in the workplace by volunteering, completing a traineeship, vocational education and training or even work experience. During Jan’s time at Don College she was able to tick all of these boxes and stands a very good chance of winning this award.

Jan acknowledged her teachers and the College in part of her application, ‘My schooling also wasn’t so great but once I started college and had the support and courage of my teachers, I then actually started to believe in myself. They treated me like an adult and like I was a normal human being.’

We wish Jan the very best of luck as she now has the long wait to find out if she was successful in winning the award when winners are announced at a Gala Dinner in Hobart on 22nd May.