Eligibility and selection criteria: Training provider categories

Community Training Provider of the Year

The Community Training Provider of the Year Award recognises innovation and excellence by an organisation involved in improving skills in the local community or workplace.

This is a Victorian-only award and does not articulate to the Australian Training Awards.

Eligibility

Your organisation must:

Deliver training in Victoria
Have a history of timely compliance with contractual obligations and program requirements
Be registered with the ACFE Board as a Learn Local organisation
Have delivered ACFE Board-funded pre-accredited training in 2022

Community Training Provider of the Year Selection Criteria

Tell us about:
- how your programs provide pathways to other opportunities, further learning and employment
- what measures of quality you implement to ensure the successful delivery of your programs
- what challenges have been overcome in planning and implementing your training programs
- if the training programs might have a positive impact beyond the organisation in the wider community or environment
- what techniques and/or strategies your organisation uses to engage learners in your programs and maintain good learner completion rates
- what ways learners have been supported beyond the formal structures of program delivery
- how you demonstrate creativity, excellence and/or innovation in the design and development of processes or techniques
- your organisation’s history – how your services have responded to the changes in your local community.
Tell us about:
- if your programs benefit and appeal to individuals or groups who are typically under-represented in traditional educational channels (in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, ability, location)
- examples of learners with pathways into local businesses that have addressed local skills shortages
- what your organisation does to encourage access
- what degree of success the organisation has had in meeting the needs of learners facing barriers
- what your organisation does to promote knowledge of clients and markets and how it responds to these
- any systems and processes for collecting and analysing data on client needs and expectations
- what local and learner needs are addressed by your organisation
- the benefits to your local community
- what is unique or creative about your organisation’s approach to addressing local needs
- how you support learners to connect with local community, further education and employment opportunities.
Tell us about:
- how learners’ achievements have impacted on others either in the organisation or local community stakeholders
- how your work environment demonstrates that it recognises the well-being of staff
- how you undertake continuous improvement within the organisation
- how your organisation connects with the work and/or offerings of other organisations or groups in the local or wider community
- how your organisation connects with business or industry (individuals or groups)
- the strategies your organisation has to identify local and/ or regional issues (such as social, economic, industrial or environmental issues) and how you incorporate these into service delivery
- the methods your organisation uses to create positive relationships with individuals, enterprises, industries and local community groups (for example, industry consultation, partnerships, feedback)
- if your organisation has supported learners to engage with their local community
- any types of learner pathways your organisation helped to create
- what partnership or network your organisation has established that has had positive outcomes for learners in your organisation or your local community.

Inclusive Training Provider of the Year

The Inclusive Training Provider of the Year Award recognises exceptional training providers within the Victorian government’s vocational education and training sector that have demonstrated outstanding improvements with regard to the achievement, engagement and well-being of students with disability.

This is a Victorian-only award and does not articulate to the Australian Training Awards.

Eligibility

Your organisation must:
be a training provider whose core business is the delivery of training
deliver training in Victoria
be a training provider delivering an inclusive curriculum for students with a disability and/or additional needs
have an effective Disability Action Plan and inclusive and accessible employment plans in place

Inclusive Training Provider of the Year Selection Criteria

Tell us about:
- how you make a positive impact on the achievement, engagement and well-being of students with additional needs
- how you deliver outstanding improvements to increase understanding about students with disability and additional needs
- how you engage with students with disability, their families and carers, to ensure their needs are considered and addressed, facilitating inclusive practices to deliver strong outcomes.
Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate excellent curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and reporting practices in response to the needs of students with disability
- innovative uses of technology to deliver an inclusive curriculum for students with a wide range of functional impairments
- how you ensure reasonable adjustments are made to support students with disability.
Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate working in partnership with schools, networks, regions and the community to develop an understanding of students with additional needs
- how you foster partnerships in local communities to increase employment opportunities for students with disability through the building of pathways from training to employment.
Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate leadership and implementation of initiatives or programs that meet the needs of students with additional needs
- how these are developed and delivered in line with best practice principles
- how you demonstrate development and maintenance of positive and purposeful relationships, working in partnership with schools, networks, regions and the community to improve collaborative practices, while positively building the reputation of the Victorian government’s VET system.
Tell us about:
- the modelling of effective Disability Action Plans and inclusive and accessible employment practices to demonstrate to industry partners and other employers the benefits of a diverse workforce
- how you demonstrate commitment to support current staff with disability and a track record of increasing the numbers of staff with disability
- in particular, your inclusion of people with disability in the teaching and delivery of disability employment qualifications.

Small Training Provider of the Year

The Small Training Provider of the Year Award recognises small registered training organisations (RTOs) that offer a range of training products and services and that demonstrate excellence and high-level performance in all aspects of vocational education and training.

The winner of this Award will be nominated to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards.

Eligibility

Your organisation must:

be a training provider whose core business is the delivery of training
deliver training in Victoria
have fewer than 500 students enrolled at the time of nomination, as reported by RTOs in the most recent annual National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) data collection period

Small Training Provider Selection Criteria

Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate excellence and high level performance in nationally accredited training arrangements
- how you provide creative and innovative solutions to emerging training needs
- the systems you have in place to manage, evaluate and enhance your VET products and services
- how you implement and keep up with best practice
- how your training influences best practice
- how you measure success (e.g. outcome and completion data, satisfaction surveys, independent validations and evaluations, industry recognition, business outcomes from training activity)
- how you undertake continuous improvement and apply quality controls within your organisation.
Tell us about:
- how you encourage access to your VET products and services
- what support services you provide to students during their training
- the systems you have in place to be able to reach different cohorts (e.g. online training)
- how you are inclusive of different students’ needs
- how you provide students with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace
- how satisfied students are with their training
- the success you have achieved in meeting the needs of equity groups.
Tell us about:
- how you build new, innovative and effective partnerships with industry in the local or wider community
- how you collect data on and understand industry/business needs and expectations
- your capacity and flexibility to meet changing training needs and new training markets
- how your training reflects changing industry requirements and expectations.
Tell us about:
- the strategies you have in place to identify local/regional issues (e.g. social, economic, industrial or environmental issues) and how you incorporate these into your service delivery
- the systems you have in place for planning and communicating your purpose, vision, goals, values and core business strategies (and for creating alignment across your whole organisation)
- how you develop the capability and capacity of your workforce
- the strategies you have in place to build a positive workplace culture
- how you support employee wellbeing and positive mental health
- how you incorporate inclusion and diversity into running your business
- how you identify and attract new clients and new markets, and how you address these without impacting the sustainability of your operations
- how you enrol, train and report on online learners
- how you ensure the sustainability of your operations, including your understanding of risk and risk management.
Tell us about:
- the details of creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training
- how you demonstrate creativity and innovation in the design and development of your processes and techniques (operational or educational)
- innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
- innovative approaches that you use to encourage access to training for your students (e.g. mentoring, e-learning, collaborative learning).

Large Training Provider of the Year

The Large Training Provider of the Year Award recognises large registered training organisations (RTOs) that offer a range of training products and services and that demonstrate excellence and high-level performance in all aspects of vocational education and training.

The winner of this Award will be nominated to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards.

Eligibility

Your organisation must:

be a training provider whose core business is the delivery of training
deliver training in Victoria
have 500 or more students enrolled at the time of nomination, as reported by RTOs in the most recent annual National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) data collection period.

Large Training Provider of the Year Award Selection Criteria

Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate excellence and high level performance in nationally accredited training arrangements
- how you provide creative and innovative solutions to emerging training needs
- the systems you have in place to manage, evaluate and enhance your VET products and services
- how you implement and keep up with best practice
- how your training influences best practice
- how you measure success (e.g. outcome and completion data, satisfaction surveys, independent validations and evaluations, industry recognition, business outcomes from training activity)
- how you undertake continuous improvement and apply quality controls within your organisation.
Tell us about:
- how you encourage access to your VET products and services
- what support services you provide to students during their training
- the systems you have in place to be able to reach different cohorts (e.g. online training)
- how you are inclusive of different students’ needs
- how you provide students with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace
- how satisfied students are with their training
- the success you have achieved in meeting the needs of equity groups.
Tell us about:
- how you build new, innovative and effective partnerships with industry in the local or wider community
- how you collect data on and understand industry/business needs and expectations
- your capacity and flexibility to meet changing training needs and new training markets
- how your training reflects changing industry requirements and expectations.
Tell us about:
- the strategies you have in place to identify local/regional issues (e.g. social, economic, industrial or environmental issues) and how you incorporate these into your service delivery
- the systems you have in place for planning and communicating your purpose, vision, goals, values and core business strategies (and for creating alignment across your whole organisation)
- how you develop the capability and capacity of your workforce
- the strategies you have in place to build a positive workplace culture
- how you support employee wellbeing and positive mental health
- how you incorporate inclusion and diversity into running your business
- how you identify and attract new clients and new markets, and how you address these without impacting the sustainability of your operations
- how you enrol, train and report on online learners
- how you ensure the sustainability of your operations, including your understanding of risk and risk management.
Tell us about:
- the details of creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training
- how you demonstrate creativity and innovation in the design and development of your processes and techniques (operational or educational)
- innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
- innovative approaches that you use to encourage access to training for your students (e.g. mentoring, e-learning, collaborative learning).

Updated 5 July 2023