Orange TAFE NSW Tourism and Hospitality teachers win 'Teaching Section of the Year' at the TAFE NSW State Recognition Awards.

The Orange team edged out more than 750 teaching teams from across the state to win the 'Teaching Section of the Year' at the TAFE NSW State Recognition Awards.

Head Teacher of Tourism and Hospitality at TAFE NSW Orange Amanda Glassop said it was fantastic news.

"We're still on cloud nine."

"It's really good recognition for a little teaching section in the West," she said.

To earn the state title, the Orange teaching team was judged on how it portrays the TAFE values of customer first, collaboration, excellence and integrity and how they perform together.

One of the projects presented to the judges was a tour guide training program the team delivered in Wilcannia.

The outback town on the Darling River is about to get a new $30 million weir downstream that will create a new recreation area and attract more visitors.

NSW Water funded tourism training as part of the project.

"We did a Certificate II in Tourism focusing on guiding, because when you go to Wilcannia as a tourist there are things to see and do but no organised tours," Ms Glassop said.

"They wanted to train people to be able answer visitor information questions at the new visitor centre and also take people on guided tours around the town."

After the training, local Uncle Owen opened his own tour business and employed a graduate of the training who had never held a job before.

"In a town where there are generational unemployment issues it's a really positive thing to bring to community," Ms Glassop said.

The hospitality and tourism team are now set to deliver similar program at Condobolin.

The team was also recognised for a program nicknamed 'TAFE in a box' that Tourism and Hospitality teachers devised as a way to keep students engaged while COVID restricted them from studying on campus.

The staff packed up ingredient boxes or arranged click-and-collect for smaller towns where travel outside local government areas was banned.

Students could then join a live cooking class at home or at work via Microsoft teams. It meant the 60 or so apprentice chefs and bakers did not fall behind in their training.

Ms Glassop said the secret to the team's success was a 'can do' attitude.

"We always say yes and then we work out how we're going to do it afterwards.

"We'd rather regret things we tried rather than regret things we didn't try."

And the whole team really focus on that

"I've got the best team."

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