2025 Victorian Training Awards winners - business categories

This award celebrates small businesses that have achieved excellence in the provision of ‘nationally recognised training’ for its employees.

Congratulations Christie Centre Inc 2025 Small Employer of the Year winner

For more than 70 years, Christie Centre Inc. has championed inclusion in delivering disability support in Mildura. A culture of continuous growth is fostered via training that is integrated across the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to leadership development. This gives them the edge in delivering services spanning assistance with daily living, and education and employment.

Staff training, aligned with individual aspirations and organisational goals, has achieved tangible business improvements including reducing staff turnover by 30%, increased internal promotions, and enhanced service impacts.

Recognised for excellence in inclusive education, Christie Centre Inc. has cultivated a workforce that’s well equipped to meet the evolving challenges of the sector. This includes developing innovative social enterprises such as bespoke chocolate production, and the delivery of meaningful employment for people of all abilities. Coupled with a community partnership program, they highlight the abilities of people with a disability as active, capable citizens, and drive social change and economic opportunity.

Ultra Project Services

Ultra Project Services is a Wangaratta based construction company specialising in commercial and domestic project management. They service a diverse client base across government, commercial, and private sectors. Their employee-led training model fosters a culture of continuous growth, where staff actively shape their development pathways to align with business needs and personal goals.

Employees average 5–7 hours of monthly training across toolbox talks, safety, contract management, compliance and targeted upskilling. Apprenticeships and diplomas are also supported, leading to career progression, improved project delivery, and increased operational efficiency.

Currently, 11% of the workforce is engaged in further education. This commitment to lifelong learning includes support for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, such as long-term unemployed people, and those facing barriers to employment. Ultra Project Services ensures equitable access to skills development with flexible training options and partnerships with local support services to achieve a technically capable, adaptable workforce. Investing in people is key to delivering strong project outcomes.

This award celebrates large businesses and enterprises that have achieved excellence in the provision of ‘nationally recognised training’ for its employees.

Congratulations V/Line 2025 Large Employer of the Year winner

For over four decades, V/Line has safely connected Victorian communities across a 3,500km rail network, operating more than 2,300 rail and 1,520 coach services weekly. With a workforce of nearly 3,000, many based in regional areas, V/Line is a major contributor to regional employment and mobility.

Training is embedded into all levels of business and is critical in building a future-ready workforce to respond to projects such as the Victorian Government’s investment in rail infrastructure. A recent innovation saw the construction of purpose-built training environments, including functioning signal systems and related infrastructure. This facilitates learning without impacting the live network. Its Registered Training Organisation delivers nationally recognised qualifications from Certificate II to Diploma level courses, with over 7% per cent of staff actively enrolled in 75 hours of training per month.

V/Line’s commitment to professional development has delivered measurable improvements across the organisation, strengthening public trust and increasing operational capability, which supports better outcomes for regional communities.

SRS Power

Backed by three decades of industry leadership, SRS Power manufactures power stations and delivers cutting-edge electrical and engineering solutions across renewable energy and government infrastructure sectors. At the heart of its workforce strategy is a commitment to apprentice development.

With 16 graduates and 19 apprentices currently employed across electrical, carpentry and fabrication trades, SRS Power ensures hands-on training aligns with industry standards and real-world application. Strategic partnerships with APM Apprenticeships and leading RTOs, along with tailored in-house programs, foster high retention and build technical confidence.

Apprentices play a crucial role in shaping the future of SRS Power, and apprenticeship success is a core strategy for securing skilled employees. Individualised training plans, mentoring and rigorous safety protocols cultivate skilled tradespeople focused on compliance and technical excellence. With 20% of its workforce actively training, SRS Power plays a vital role in advancing Australia’s energy future while developing talent to meet evolving sector demands.

This award recognises an exemplary skills development collaboration between at least one employer and/or industry body and at least one organisation delivering nationally recognised vocational education and training.

Congratulations NECA Education & Careers 2025 Employer Award for Apprenticeship Development winner

As Victoria’s largest employer of electrical apprentices, NECA Education and Careers plays a vital role in developing skilled workers through its integrated Group Training Organisation model. With 405 apprentices and trainees successfully placed across the state, NECA delivers end-to-end services, from recruitment, administration and training, to mentoring and career progression.

Notably, NECA’s innovative Leading Mates program, funded by the Office for Women, is reshaping leadership pathways for women in trades. It offers targeted development, peer networks, and training aligned to onsite processes. In 2024, this initiative supported 53 women apprentices, contributing to a remarkable 19% female electrical apprentice rate against the state average of 2%.

NECA consistently achieves completion rates above 88% and retention rates of 98%, reflecting its strong commitment to inclusive, high-quality training. Initiatives such as WaTT (Women and Their Trade), and accessible literacy and numeracy support underpin an empowering culture that delivers meaningful outcomes for apprentices, and strengthens the electrical industry.

North East Link Apprenticeship Development - Spark Consortium and Holmesglen

The Spark Consortium is a multinational partnership delivering Melbourne’s North East Link, which includes designing and constructing the longest tunnels in Victoria. The two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), named Zelda and Gillian, have already travelled 1.6km. To support this major infrastructure initiative, Spark, in consultation with Holmesglen Institute, developed an innovative training pathway offering a tunnelling-specific Certificate III in Civil Construction.

The course is tailored to the project’s three distinct excavation methodologies: the TBM, the sequential excavation method (SEM), and cross-tunnel culverts. Since launching in 2024, 352 trainees, including 18 women, have enrolled in the course delivered at Holmesglen’s Victorian Tunnelling Centre. Trainees also benefit from recognition of prior learning and pathways into leadership roles.

Collaborative development of the project, with input from global tunnelling leaders and embedded advisory teams, sets a new benchmark for tunnelling education. Spark and Holmesglen are shaping not just infrastructure, but a more skilled and future-ready workforce.

This award recognises an exemplary skills development collaboration between at least one employer and/or industry body and at least one organisation delivering nationally recognised vocational education and training.

Congratulations Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre Early Engagement Social Procurement Program 2025 Industry Collaboration Award winner

Geelong’s Early Engagement Social Procurement program (GEESP) is a co-designed initiative tackling entrenched unemployment. Launched in 2024, the project models a life-changing approach to embedding inclusive employment pathways within an infrastructure project - the construction of the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. The project was co-designed by Development Victoria, GROW, gforce Employment + Recruitment, and Built, with training delivered by Gordon TAFE.

Directly targeting First Nations people, migrants, women and ex-offenders, GEESP also focuses on those experiencing long-term unemployment. Participants undertook the Certificate II in Construction Pathways, which provided foundational construction skills. Barriers were addressed with wraparound supports including trauma-informed teaching, foundational literacy and mentoring, as well as issues such as transport and housing insecurity.

Lives were reshaped into positive futures with new apprenticeship opportunities. An 85% completion rate with 72% gaining employment, demonstrates the high impact of industry, education, and employment services working together to achieve long-term economic and social equity outcomes.

Improving Education Pathways for Deaf Students in the Adult Migrant English Program

Box Hill Institute heard the plight of deaf migrant students and pioneered a program that improved their ability to learn English in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). In partnership with Expression Australia, Deaf ConnectEd and Deaf Victoria, they devised an inclusive learning environment that customises delivery to meet their unique language needs.

The innovative model was piloted for 12 students in 2024. They were taught by a deaf Auslan teacher and an EAL (English as an Additional Language) specialist who adopted interactive, adapted materials and teaching strategies. Having a deaf migrant teacher further enriched learning as a cultural bridge and role model. Students demonstrated marked improvements in written English and gained confidence to communicate independently, particularly with employers in contexts where interpreters weren’t available.

Highly successful, the program delivered far more than English skills, it fostered social inclusion, vocational pathways, and a renewed sense of empowerment for deaf migrants seeking a fulfilling life in Australia.

Outer Northern Technical Training Centre TEC Program

The Outer Northern Technical Training Centre TEC Program is a strategic collaboration between industry and education designed to address critical shortages of skilled technical workers in the heavy automotive sector. Uniting industry leaders Cummins APAC, Komatsu Australia, Daimler Truck, Westar Trucks, Bayfords Automotive Group, with Outer Northern Trade Training Centre (ONTTC) and the Australian Institute of Training, created life-changing vocational pathways for youth from under-resourced communities.

Delivered through the VET Delivered to Secondary Students program, the initiative focuses on equipping secondary students with industry-relevant skills and qualifications in heavy vehicle maintenance and repair. Students have technical training, job skills and career guidance at ONTTC. Industry partners provide trainers and high-end equipment.

In 2024, the TEC program achieved a 67% completion rate, with 71% of graduates securing employment within six months and a further 21% progressing to further study. Fostering practical education opportunities, the collaboration bridges the gap between vocational training and industry needs and potentially breaks the cycle of poverty and generational unemployment.