The evening was held at TAFE Queensland South Bank and brought together apprentices, trainees, students, teachers, employers and community organisations from across greater Brisbane. It was a wonderful celebration of vocational education and training (VET) and of the many different pathways people take into meaningful work.
About the Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year Award
The Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year recognises outstanding achievement by a trainee who has recently completed, or is due to complete, a traineeship in Queensland.
Before moving to Australia, I managed multi-million-dollar IT projects in India for banking and financial industry clients. Rebuilding a career in a new country is not always linear. The traineeship gave me the local workplace education, frontline client experience and industry context I needed to step forward with confidence into the not-for-profit sector. Experiencing firsthand how our work directly and positively impacts people’s lives has been incredibly rewarding.
From there, I have continued building work that sits at the intersection of technology, community and purpose. That includes founding Pooja Pacific Partners, a technology advisory and services practice for not-for-profit organisations.
Equity Student of the Year Finalist
I was also named a finalist in the Equity Student of the Year category, which recognises people who have overcome significant barriers to participate in VET.
Transitioning from a high-level corporate IT background into the Australian not-for-profit sector was a unique experience. It meant learning a completely new operational language and culture, all while navigating the broader hurdles of re-establishing my professional identity as a skilled migrant. Translating my past corporate experience into genuine community value required taking a step back to learn the local landscape, and this traineeship was the bridge that made it possible.
I am grateful to share that recognition with the other finalists and with everyone who makes these pathways possible.
Why This Matters for the Community Sector
Vocational education opened a door when formal pathways alone were not enough. It is a reminder that capability is not defined by a single credential from a previous country or career chapter. With the right training, support and opportunity, people can contribute deeply to their communities and organisations can benefit immensely from that experience.
That belief sits at the heart of Pooja Pacific Partners. We are not just another IT vendor. Because of my journey from large-scale corporate IT into the heart of the community sector, working directly with vulnerable clients in a frontline role and closely with the executive leadership team as a Projects Officer, I understand the unique challenges, resource constraints and operational realities that not-for-profits face. Pooja Pacific Partners is built on understanding community organisations as an insider, providing technology services designed specifically for the sector.
We help not-for-profits get genuine value from technology and manage IT risk in plain language, without jargon, and with your mission first. Whether your organisation needs independent strategic advice, hands-on project implementation, or ongoing managed IT services (MSP), we provide the end-to-end support required to let you focus on what truly matters for our community.
If your organisation is navigating technology decisions and needs a partner who genuinely understands the sector, you are welcome to book a discovery catch-up or use the contact form on the home page.
Thank you to the Queensland Training Awards for recognising me, and everyone who has supported this chapter. I am already looking for ways to pay it forward.
Official winners and finalists: Metropolitan regional final | Queensland Training Awards 2026 (Department of Trade, Employment and Training, Queensland).