On Wednesday 21 November at the Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club in Williamstown, WCIG hosted its 10th Board Scholarship presentation ceremony. Board Chair Frank Carlus, CEO Ron Miers and Deputy CEO Mary Stojanovska presented scholarships to 10 successful nominated participants from WCIG’s Disability, Youth, Training, Employment and Social Enterprise divisions.
WCIG was delighted to welcome Federal Labor MP and Member for Gellibrand Mr Tim Watts, who began with praising the spirit of the scholarships in line with community values: ‘WCIG’s work strengthens our community; socially and economically, and I want to thank everyone in this room, particularly staff members … who give their time to this worthy cause.’
Mr Watts went on to commend the efforts of the scholarship recipients: ‘You show the Australian value of perseverance and hard work, and you show that if you work hard enough and if you’re determined enough, you can determine your own future, regardless of your background or your personal circumstances.’
Scholarship recipient Luis asked to say a few words after he was presented with his Scholarship Certificate. Luis expressed his gratitude, emphasising that ‘… this scholarship is the best Christmas present I have ever had.’ Luis has dealt with some significant experiences over the years, which made things very difficult for him to live a full life. With his Support Worker’s assistance, Luis had gradually built a strong work ethic which eventually blossomed into a desire to build relationships and participate in the community outside of work. Luis’ scholarship funded a full set of Lawn Bowls equipment, which will enable him to continue to build his world, friendships and learn new skills.
The WCIG Board Scholarships Program underpins WCIG’s Mission Statement, which is ‘Creating futures through workforce participation for people experiencing disadvantage’. The purpose of the scholarships is to assist WCIG participants in the next stage of their employment and/or education pathways, over and above what is already offered under the program the participant is involved in.
This year, scholarships featured resilience-building personal care, social and health assistance, course fees for new careers and to advance new ones, work equipment, driver’s licence preparation, vehicle servicing and vital household appliances.
