But his job is so much more than that.

"A lot of our mob find themselves in situations where they're isolated from services and certain events because they have no way of getting there," Mr Keed said. "Something as simple as a bus has made such a difference to these people's lives."

Whether he's taking young mothers and their children to playgroups, taking people to funerals or organising cultural awareness days that have connected children and elders as a way of "closing the gap", Mr Keed is driving real change.

Mr Keed, 24, has been on a traineeship with the bus team for 18 months. He has also been studying at the Canberra Institute of Technology, completing a Certificate 4 in Alcohol and Other Drugs and a Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment.

On Thursday night he won the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year at the ACT Training Awards.

Mr Keed's manager Ian Corey nominated him for the award because of his commitment to bettering the lives of those in the Indigenous community.

"A significant part of Jacob's role is to work closely with the community to identify vulnerable people and connect them with services that improve their lives," Mr Corey said.

"He leads by example and also works in the community to reconnect those who are displaced from their culture, history and connection to the land."

Figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research show that there has been a 30.6 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in the ACT, with 384 students enrolled in the first three months of 2016, up from 294 in the same period from 2015. The national increase was 10.3 per cent.

The ACT performed above the national average in delivering vocational education qualifications, according to the recently released NCVER report, Government-funded students and courses – January to March 2016.

Minister for Higher Education, Training and Research Meegan Fitzharris said the report showed 9980 students were undertaking government-funded vocational education and training in the ACT during the first three months of 2016, up six per cent from the same period in 2015.

"This increase is very encouraging, especially given that the number of students undertaking VET nationally has fallen 4.7 per cent," Ms Fitzharris said.

Mr Keed hopes to use his study in Alcohol and Other Drugs to gain a better understanding of the issue in the Indigenous community. "It's made me realise what a lot of my people are going through," he said.

He would also like to eventually teach cultural awareness to the community.

Mr Corey will reluctantly let Mr Keed go at the end of his traineeship.

"Driving the bus is about 5 per cent of his job, the 95 per cent of it is making connections within the community, gaining their trust and respect and he's just making a real difference to people's lives."

2016 ACT Training Awards Winners:

ACT Australian Apprentice of the Year:

Name: Shane Dealy

Qualification: Certificate III in Carpentry

Employer: Algoa Holdings Pty Ltd

RTO: Canberra Institute of Technology

ACT Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year

Name: Chloe Handley

Qualification: Certificate IV in Government

Employer: Australian Training Company hosted to ACT Education and Training Directorate

RTO: Canberra Institute of Technology

ACT Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year

Name: Madeline Wallace

Qualification: Certificate III in Business Studies

Employer: Weston Creek Veterinary Hospital

RTO: Canberra Institute of Technology

ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year

Name: Jacob Keed

Qualification: Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs

Employer: Territory and Municipal Services

RTO: Canberra Institute of Technology

ACT Vocational Student of the Year

Name: Kerrie Brewer

Qualification: Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development

RTO: Canberra Institute of Technology

ACT VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year

Name: Daniel McNamara

Area of Expertise: Outdoor Education

Employer: Lake Ginninderra College

ACT Industry Collaboration Award

Name of Program: Indigenous Australian Government Development Program

Organisations: Transformed Pty Ltd, Department of Education and Training, Department of Employment

ACT School Pathways to VET

Organisation: CCCares @ Canberra College

ACT Small Employer of the Year

Organisation: Bond Hair Religion

ACT Medium Employer of the Year

Organisation: National Mailing and Marketing Pty Ltd

ACT Large Employer of the Year

Organisation: ActewAGL

ACT Small Training Provider of the Year

Organisation: Academy of Interactive Entertainment

ACT Large Training Provider of the Year

Organisation: Canberra Institute of Technology

Norm Fisher Award

Name: Ann Goleby

(All winners, apart from the winner of the Norm Fisher Award, will progress to the Australian Training Awards in Darwin in November).