MTA Queensland names diesel mechanic and multi-trade Penske technician in second 2026 VET Trainer Scholarship round

Round 2 recipients named

MTA Queensland has named a diesel mechanic from Stahmann & Webster and a technician from Penske Australia and New Zealand as the recipients of its second VET Trainer Scholarship round for 2026, AutoTalk Australia reports. Gerhard Van Zyl and Nicola Todd will each complete a fully funded TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, valued at more than $3000. ¹

The scholarship is offered twice a year to trade-qualified people working in Queensland's automotive industry, and was first awarded in 2021. Auto Women, which lists the program among its professional development offerings, describes it as four scholarships annually for automotive professionals looking to progress their career in vocational education and training. ¹⁴

Van Zyl: 15 years across automotive, agriculture and food production

Van Zyl is a trade-qualified diesel mechanic with more than 15 years' experience spanning the automotive, agricultural and food-production sectors, covering mechanical work, workshop management, maintenance leadership and workplace safety. He has mentored apprentices and run toolbox talks, according to AutoTalk Australia. ¹

Van Zyl said he was grateful for the opportunity to formalise skills developed throughout his career, adding that the qualification would allow him to give back to the industry and help future tradespeople become skilled, confident and safety-focused. ¹

Todd: third trade before 27 and a state training award

Todd holds qualifications in light and heavy commercial vehicle mechanical technology and is completing her third trade before the age of 27. At Penske Australia and New Zealand she supports apprentices and colleagues with diagnostics, fault-finding, electrical systems and training requirements. ¹

The Queensland Government's announcement of the 2026 Queensland Training Awards statewide winners independently confirms Todd's award record: Townsville's Nicola Todd was named Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year, for a Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology. The department listed her among the individual category winners announced in September 2026, with the awards that year selected from more than 750 nominations. ³²

Todd said she looked forward to sharing her knowledge, helping apprentices succeed and showing more women that they have a strong future in the industry. ¹

A pipeline of trainers from within the industry

MTA Queensland chief executive Rod Camm said the scholarship is aimed at building a pipeline of trainers from within the industry, describing Van Zyl and Todd as bringing valuable technical knowledge, diverse industry experience and a genuine desire to help others succeed. ¹

Camm said providing opportunities for experienced automotive professionals to transition into training continues to build a pipeline of trainers who can pass on their skills and prepare apprentices for long-term careers. Beyond the scholarship, MTA Queensland's training arm, the MTA Institute, is also delivering the state government's Tradie Skills Recognition program for experienced automotive workers. ¹

Context: Queensland training recognition in 2026

The scholarship recipients emerge from a year of heightened training recognition in Queensland. The state government announced 206 finalists for the 2026 Queensland Training Awards in June, from 715 nominations, in the awards' 65th year, with regional winners progressing to a state final in Brisbane on 19 September 2026. ²

At the September statewide announcement, the Crisafulli Government noted that women claimed five of the seven individual award categories, including two apprentices in male-dominated trades, and that winners would represent Queensland at the Australian Training Awards in Sydney on 20 November. ³