Career changers focused on future roles in fields as diverse as horticulture and new technology are among the recipients of the 2025 Playford Trust Awards.
The cash awards are presented annually to selected TAFE SA students, recognising their study efforts to date and encouraging their continued contribution to South Australia’s knowledge, skills and research base.
Reinventing her career for the second time, Daye Kim is studying a Certificate IV in Cyber Security after partial hearing loss affected her work as a chef.
“I started losing my hearing about eight years ago and then my doctor found that I had tumours affecting my hearing,’ she says.
Despite surgery, her hearing has not been fully restored, prompting a need to explore other work options.
Daye had already retrained from tourism and hospitality to cookery after moving from South Korea and this time she decided to branch out to a new industry.
“Cyber security seemed like a good fit for me because I’m quite focused on detail and being precise,” she says.
Halfway through her training, Daye is pleased with her decision and says she’s finding cyber security a fascinating field.
“I get a sense of achievement when I fix problems using the software tools,” says Daye who is also studying industry certifications to ensure she’s job-ready after graduating.
Her goal is to help small businesses strengthen their digital resilience and contribute to building a safer, more secure community for everyone.
At the Playford Trust Awards, Daye was recognised for her resilience and commitment to continuous learning with the Modern Industries Award, presented by TAFE SA.
For Timothy Whittington, a Modern Industries Award presented by the Playford Trust has reaffirmed his decision to change careers and focus on the growing cyber security industry.
After a successful career in sound design, most recently in commercial radio, Tim says he is looking to future proof his working life by studying cyber security.
“I’m passionate about cyber but I can also see longevity in it as a career, whereas audio is a shrinking industry, especially with the use of AI.”
Tim is balancing work as an installation technician for an audio visual company with full-time online study in the Certificate IV in Cyber Security which he says is demanding with “so much to learn”.
He says his current role draws on existing skills as well as those he’s developing through the course.
“I’m learning things at TAFE SA that I can apply almost immediately in my current role because the course work is making me think on a deeper level about how things actually work,” he says.
Tim plans to further his studies with the Diploma course in 2026 and while he was expecting to enjoy the forensic or investigative side of cyber security, it’s networking that has captured his interest.
“In the future I’d like to focus on the networking side of IT, perhaps as a network engineer, and help businesses avoid vulnerabilities in their systems,” he says.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of green spaces and gardens, according to Lily Anesbury who is studying a Certificate III in Horticulture.
Essential for biodiversity, climate resilience and food production, gardens also promote community connection and mental wellbeing, says Lily, who is developing the skills to run her own garden design business.
After studying baking at TAFE SA, Lily spent the first part her working life as a baker and cake decorator before deciding to pursue a long-held interest in gardening at TAFE SA’s Urrbrae Campus.
“Every unit I complete gives me a new idea about what I could do,” she says.
“We have great lecturers with such depths of knowledge and I feel lucky to have their expertise.”
Ideas inspired by her studies are tested in the family garden where she encourages her twin five-year-old sons to enjoy nature play.
Lily also has her own small business providing garden maintenance and planting advice which she’d like to expand in the future, although her next goal is to complete the Diploma of Landscape Design.
Lily is the recipient of an Environment, Conservation and Horticulture Award, presented by the Friends of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which she says is “lovely recognition” of her knowledge and commitment to horticulture.
The Playford Trust Award winners are:
Modern Industries (presented by TAFE SA)
- Daye Kim – Certificate IV in Cyber Security
- Oscar Lang - Certificate IV in Surveying and Spatial Information Services (Surveying)
Modern Industries (presented by Playford Trust)
- Ben Jucius – Certificate IV in Information Technology (Systems Administration Support)
- Mithun Subha – Certificate IV in Information Technology
- Timothy Whittington – Certificate IV in Cyber Security
Agriculture, agribusiness and food production (presented by Playford Trust)
- Adriana Williams – Diploma of Food Science and Technology Industries
Agriculture, agribusiness and food production (presented by Sandy’s Memorial Trust)
- Gemma Jackson - Certificate III in Agriculture
- Thomas Shephard - Certificate II in Agriculture
Environment, conservation and horticulture (presented by Open Gardens SA)
- Breanna Bitmead – Certificate II in Horticulture
- Emma Robertson – Certificate III in Horticulture
Environment, conservation and horticulture (presented by Friends of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens)
- Lily Anesbury – Certificate III in Horticulture
Environment, Conservation and Horticulture (presented by Playford Trust)
- Alex Chu - Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Jessica Glasgow - Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- John Hazel - Diploma of Arboriculture
- Alia Omond - Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management