An Ai Group Apprentice and Trainee Centre (Ai Group ATC) stand-out scooped the top award at an awards ceremony in Sydney on Friday night.
Kyle Cheeseman, a Mechanical Engineering apprentice hosted to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), was named Apprentice of the Year at the Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT Awards (AEN Awards).
Accepting his award, Kyle thanked both Ai Group ATC and CCEP for their support and said Ai Group was “critical” to his successful apprenticeship journey.
"I couldn't have done it without them," he said to loud applause.
The award recognises Kyle’s exceptional commitment to his trade, leadership qualities and dedication to his career and community.
Kyle completed his apprenticeship ahead of schedule in April and transitioned directly into a full-time role as a Maintenance Engineer at CCEP.
Throughout his apprenticeship, Kyle’s strong work ethic and consistently high grades at TAFE made him stand out.
Earlier this year, he featured on Channel Nine’s The Today Show, where his success story and the benefits of apprenticeships were shared with a national audience.
Kyle’s journey started well before his apprenticeship, with nearly four years of involvement in the Australian Army Cadets at the Blacktown Army Barracks, where he rose to the rank of Lance Corporal.
His leadership and generous spirit shone through as he volunteered at Anzac Day remembrance events, helping disabled veterans and participating in community initiatives such as teaching first aid to Scouts groups.
Outside of work, Kyle remains active in the community.
He has represented Western Sydney at a regional level in hockey and volunteers with the NSW Department of Primary Industries on a program that tags game fish to study their migration patterns.
Kyle exemplifies the value of apprenticeships, the importance of strong industry partnerships and the positive impact apprentices can have on the workforce and community.
Ai Group ATC is incredibly proud of Kyle’s achievements and looks forward to his continued success at CCEP.
Congratulations to all the nominees and finalists at this year’s AEN NSW & ACT Awards.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at the Australian Industry Group. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter, features writer, contributor and sub-editor for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK.
