Chelsea Menhenett, from Cobram’s CED Group, won the 2026 Moira Shire Business Excellence Awards Apprentice of the Year.
Photo by
Abby Green
Four years of hard work, dedication and learning have paid off for apprentice electrician Chelsea Menhenett, who took home the Apprentice of the Year award at the 2026 Moira Shire Business Excellence Awards last month.
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Working with CED Group in Cobram, Chelsea was among the local business community celebrating at the awards, presented by Premier Protection Services and held at Thompsons Beach in Cobram on Thursday, October 15.
Chelsea said she was surprised to hear her name announced and was shaking as she made her way to the stage.
“It’s a good achievement, I'm very happy,” she said.
“Mum was crying, and my boss was there jumping around when I got it.”
Born in Wangaratta, Chelsea has lived in Bundalong her whole life and travels to Cobram every day for work.
“I didn't really like school, so I left school in Year 10 and started doing some work experience,” Chelsea said.
She ended up doing work experience with CED Group in Cobram before being offered an apprenticeship shortly afterwards.
Now, after four years of training, Chelsea is less than two months away from completing her apprenticeship, a milestone she is excited to reach.
Chelsea said she enjoyed the variety the electrical trade offers, from test and tagging at businesses to learning about thermal imaging.
More recently, she has been involved in work at Barooga Sporties as the venue undergoes renovations.
“There's a lot of different stuff to do, so that's what I like doing, learning different things,” she said.
Chelsea said one of the most rewarding aspects of the job was meeting different people and the satisfaction of knowing customers are happy with the work she has completed.
Moira Shire Council administrator Susan Benedyka, Apprentice of the Year Chelsea Menhenett and Apprenticeship Factory chief executive officer Paula Ryan at the Moira Shire Business Excellence Awards. Photo: Rhonda Doyle.
Photo by
Rhonda Doyle
