QOF Award Ceremony 2025

April 2025

Five Queenslanders received prestigious overseas travel Awards at the Premiers’ Hall, Parliament House in a ceremony held on Monday 7 April, 2025.

The Awards were conferred by Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM.

This year, we were honoured to welcome the Honourable Ros Bates MP, Minister for Finance, Trade and Employment, and the Honourable Amanda Stoker, Assistant Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, to our award ceremony. The event concluded with Minister Ros Bates delivering a warm and inspiring closing address, marking a memorable end to the celebrations.

Return Awardee Speech

Wayne Costain – 2024 Bursary Awardee

This year, the Awards showcased a scholarship recipient who graduated from vocational training, Three recipients of a 2025 bursary, one QTA winner .

Caitlin Baxter – 2025 Scholarship Awardee
Snezhana Chernova – 2025 Bursary Awardee
Nasrin Bano Abusali – 2025 Bursary Awardee
Tanu Jayaswal – 2025 Bursary Awardee
Rebecca Hoffensetz – 2025 QTA Bursary Winner

2025 Scholarship Awardee Caitlin Baxter is a dedicated and ambitious chef who completed her apprenticeship at Encores at the Empire Theatre, where she progressed to running her own section and mentoring junior staff. A State Finalist for the 2024 Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year, she holds a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery from TAFE Queensland. Now a qualified chef, Caitlin is embarking on a transformative journey to the UK on a Youth Mobility Visa, aiming to work under world-renowned chefs and gain the skills and inspiration to one day become a Head Chef and restaurant owner.

2025 Bursary Awardee Dr Snezhana Chernova JP is a seasoned educator with over 18 years of experience, currently serving as a Leading Vocational Teacher in the English Language and Migrant Education Department at TAFE Queensland. A specialist in English language teaching, linguistics, and vocational training, she is passionate about curriculum development, educator mentoring, and enhancing student engagement. In 2026, Snezhana will attend the INTED Conference in Valencia to explore emerging technologies such as VR/AR and adaptive learning, with the goal of integrating innovative strategies into vocational education. Committed to knowledge-sharing, she will document and disseminate her insights through blogs, workshops, and presentations to drive excellence and innovation across Queensland’s training sector.

2025 Bursary Awardee Nasrin Bano Abusali is a Dental Assistant Teacher at TAFE Queensland, specialising in dental procedures, radiography, and sterilisation. Passionate about student support and industry engagement, she contributes to curriculum development, mentors students, and fosters strong links with the dental sector. In 2025, Nasrin will attend the World Conference on Education and Training (WCET) to explore educational technology and sustainability in learning. She aims to integrate innovative teaching strategies into her courses and share her insights through blogs, workshops, and training sessions to benefit Queensland’s VET community.

2025 Bursary Awardee Tanu Jayaswal is the VET Coordinator at the Australian International Islamic College, dedicated to strengthening vocational education and training in Queensland. She will travel to India to study the College of Vocational Studies and its alignment with the Viksit Bharat Initiative, which promotes education and innovation for underprivileged youth. Tanu aims to explore how short-term, industry-relevant training models can boost employability and social responsibility. By applying global insights to local contexts, she plans to enhance Queensland’s VET sector and share her findings with educators, employers, and policymakers to drive meaningful workforce development.

2025 QTA Bursary Winner Rebecca Hoffensetz is a passionate hospitality trainer and Learning and Development Coordinator at The Ville Resort – Casino. Over the past year, she has played a key role in delivering hospitality and business-related VET programs in partnership with CTA Training Specialists. Drawing on her industry expertise, Rebecca delivers half of the Certificate IV in Hospitality, mentors school-based apprentices and trainees, and leads a leadership excellence program to develop the resort’s future leaders.