Alumni News: Evie Rushforth, 2025 Australian Apprentice of the Year

We are incredibly proud to celebrate alumnus Evangeline (Evie) Rushforth, who has been named the 2025 Australian Apprentice of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.

After being crowned NT Apprentice of the Year, Evie went on to represent the Northern Territory at the national awards, where she took home the top honour, an outstanding achievement and a testament to her determination, skill, and passion for learning.

Evie completed her Certificate III in Engineering Mechanical Trade while employed by GTNT Group and hosted to South32 GEMCO on Groote Eylandt. In her acceptance speech, she spoke powerfully about the impact of vocational education and training, sharing how discovering a hands on career gave her direction, purpose, and a future she truly loves.

Evie attended BDC from Kindergarten in 2001 through to Year 10 in 2011. Reflecting on her time at the College, she credits the school with helping her develop strong literacy skills, which continue to play a vital role in her career today. As Evie explains, “Being able to express myself well has been such an important part of my development and career.”

By her own admission, Evie didn’t always feel motivated at school and found it challenging to fully engage until Year 9. A turning point came in English when her class studied A Midsummer Night's Dream. The text, and the way it was taught, sparked a genuine connection and changed her outlook on learning. By Year 10, Evie had moved from the lowest to the highest English class, a shift she remembers with pride. She also fondly recalls her History teacher, who inspired a lifelong love of the subject, one that later became a university major.

After leaving BDC, Evie completed Years 11 and 12 at CHEC, achieving an impressive ATAR of 93.9, before beginning a Law/Arts degree at the University of Newcastle. After three years, however, she realised the path wasn’t right for her. What followed was a period of travel and self discovery that eventually led her to Darwin, and then to an apprenticeship as a Mechanical Fitter on Groote Eylandt.

Although it wasn’t the future she once imagined, Evie has found deep fulfilment in her trade. Looking back, she remembers enjoying woodwork and metalwork classes at school but never seriously considering them as a career. Today, she is passionate about encouraging young people, especially young women, to explore vocational pathways, saying, “There are so many incredible opportunities in trades that I don’t think young people are aware of.”

Evie’s journey is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t always follow a straight line, and that finding the right fit can make all the difference. We thank Evie for sharing her story and congratulate her on this remarkable achievement. She continues to be an inspiration to our entire school community.

Evie in the workshop on Groote Eyelandt