HVTC is no more as company unveils fresh new name

Hunter Valley Training Company (HVTC) is now known as Zeal Futures, a name its CEO and chairman hope will inspire zest and enthusiasm in its employees and apprentices.

Founded in 1981 with former minister for Transport Milton Morris AO as chairman and director, and Kay Sharp AM as CEO, the not-for-profit was started to provide apprentices and trainees for the construction of Bayswater Power Station.

Since then, more than 38,000 people have undertaken vocational training with the company, and Zeal Futures now employs more than 800 staff.

The new branding puts all of the training company's umbrellas; HVTC, Central Coast Community College, Hunter-V-Tec and Lake Macquarie Business Growth Centre, under one name.

Zeal Futures CEO Sharon Smith said it's an exciting chapter for the organisation.

"Over the last 43 years our dedication to changing lives through skills traning and employment has allowed us to evolve as a group, creating new and interesting career and learning opportunities," she said.

"Rebranding to Zeal Futures is the next necessary step for our group, unified as four brands, to reflect the diverseness of learning and employment that we do across now three states."

Chairman Robert Cameron AO said the organisation's dedication to the community hasn't changed.

"We're not cutting off our past, we're proud of it but we're moving into the future," he said.

"The Zeal Futures vision is to help everyone thrive, but inherently that has always been our vision.

Mr Cameron said the passion of the two founders is a proud influence on the organisation, and will continue to be in the future.

"It does have a lot to do with our first two employees Kay Sharp AM and the late founding chairman and patron the honourable Milton Morris AO who did dedicate much of his life and career to helping others," he said.

"They were both extremely passionate about vocational education and training in Australia, and the potential for skills training and learning in general to change lives for the better."