	{"id":181779,"date":"2026-03-07T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=181779"},"modified":"2026-04-08T21:49:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T11:49:45","slug":"a-force-in-apprenticeships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/women-in-business\/a-force-in-apprenticeships\/","title":{"rendered":"A force in apprenticeships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>AT gforce, the team is proud to celebrate Elly Findlay, a woman whose career is defined by purpose, impact and an unwavering commitment to people.<\/p>\n<p>With 25 years of experience in the apprenticeship space, Elly&#8217;s journey is not just impressive, it&#8217;s deeply inspiring.<\/p>\n<p>What makes Elly&#8217;s story especially powerful is that it began exactly where so many of the people she now supports are standing, as a trainee herself.<\/p>\n<p>From those early days, she built a career grounded in lived experience, empathy and an understanding of what young people need to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Today, as the manager of apprenticeship services, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insight that can only be earned through decades of hands-on work, empathy and genuine care.<\/p>\n<p>Elly&#8217;s long-standing relationships with industry partners and local businesses speak volumes about the respect she has earned across the region.<\/p>\n<p>She is trusted, highly regarded, and known for her ability to balance the needs of employers with what truly matters most: the wellbeing and development of apprentices.<\/p>\n<p>Fittingly, she has been recognised by the Apprenticeship Employment Network for Service Excellence, a standard she sets every day.<\/p>\n<p>Elly&#8217;s impact goes far beyond operational excellence. She is a passionate advocate for women in trades and has been instrumental in supporting many young women into non-traditional career pathways.<\/p>\n<p>In industries where representation still matters, Elly doesn&#8217;t just talk about change, she actively creates it.<\/p>\n<p>She is equally dedicated to helping young people and those facing disadvantage to access meaningful apprenticeship opportunities, firmly believing that everyone deserves a chance to build a future they&#8217;re proud of.<\/p>\n<p>To those who work with her, Elly is more than a manager \u2013 she is a mentor, a trusted sounding board and a steady presence.<\/p>\n<p>As one client so perfectly described: &#8220;Ultimately, she puts the welfare of her apprentices in her charge above clients&#8217; needs, but in doing this she provides a product that exceeds clients&#8217; expectations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a sentiment that captures the heart of her approach \u2013 when people are supported properly, everyone benefits.<\/p>\n<p>Elly&#8217;s career is a reminder that leadership in business isn&#8217;t only about results but about values, relationships and lifting others as you climb.<\/p>\n<p>gforce is incredibly proud to celebrate her achievements and the difference she continues to make every day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AT gforce, the team is proud to celebrate Elly Findlay, a woman whose career is defined by purpose, impact and an unwavering commitment to people. With 25 years of experience in the apprenticeship space, Elly&#8217;s journey is not just impressive, it&#8217;s deeply inspiring. What makes Elly&#8217;s story especially powerful is that it began exactly where [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/women-in-business\/a-force-in-apprenticeships\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":181783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-181779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-women-in-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A force in apprenticeships - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Apprenticeship services Geelong expert Elly Findlay of gforce leads with 25 years of experience in vocational support and women in trades.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/women-in-business\/a-force-in-apprenticeships\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A force in apprenticeships - 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