Learn Local Provider categories
This award recognises recognise excellence and high-level performance by community-based organisations involved in improving foundation skills for work, study and life.
The winner of this award will receive $10,000. Up to 2 remaining finalists for this award in will each receive $1,000.
Eligibility
The nominee must:
- be a registered Learn Local organisation
- have a history of timely compliance with contractual obligations and program requirements
- have delivered pre-accredited training in 2025.
Nominees will be asked to provide these details in response to several eligibility questions at the start of the nomination on Award Force, but this will not count toward the word count of their responses to the selection criteria.
Nominees and nominators must also agree to the conditions of entry.
Note: For the purposes of this award, a ‘small provider’ is defined as a registered Learn Local provider that was allocated fewer than 10,000 pre-accredited training delivery hours in 2025 (as of 31 Dec 2025) AND also has an organisation total income/revenue of $750,000 or less. If you are applying for this award, please attach a copy of your most recent Annual Financial Report. An online link is also suitable.
What you’ll need to apply
There are 3 parts to your nomination
- Overview – includes a brief introduction – when your training/programs were delivered in 2025, how long the program/s have been running, how Victorian Government funded contributed to the pre-accredited program/s, the program’s main activities, the learner group/s your training/program targets, how many learners in total participated in your training/programs. (100-word limit)
- Responses to the selection criteria – you have the option to submit a written response (300-word limit) or upload a short video (3 minutes max) with your verbal response to each of the selection criteria. The videos can be shot on a mobile phone or a computer.
- Supporting evidence – up to 10 pages. Attachments may include documents and/or letters of reference as evidence of the nominee’s achievements, curriculum, A-Frames, course plans, learner or trainer testimonials or images.
What the judges are looking for
The judges are looking for clear and relevant examples of the high quality pre-accredited training delivery by the provider. A key emphasis of this award is pathways to further employment, study, or volunteer work, so these should be clearly referenced and quantified with precise data.
Nominators are encouraged to use precise language: short, succinct, and factual statements with dot points to provide evidence. Testimonials from learners, trainers and other community partners or organisations can help support your nomination.
Make sure you tell a positive story about your organisation and training being delivered and how it supports learners to find pathways to further opportunities. Here are some of the judges’ comments from previous years that may help you prepare your nomination.
“A generally detailed response has been provided with specific supporting evidence and case studies.”
“…the nomination could have said more about employability outcomes. But it did well to emphasise the role of performing arts training and performance experience in developing the confidence, digital literacy skills, time management and team work necessary to succeed in life.”
“It would have been good to see examples of further employment outcomes.”
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
High quality pre-accredited training
Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate excellence and high-level performance in Victorian Government funded projects, initiatives, and activities
- how you develop learner pathways through successful program activities and training approaches, ensuring success for learners
- examples of your innovative local solutions to emerging local pre-accredited training needs
- systems in place to manage, evaluate and enhance associated programs, projects and activities
- how you implement and keep up with best practice
- how success is measured (e.g. learner outcomes, learner satisfaction and learner progress).
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 2
Learner-centered practice
Tell us about:
- strategies and supports in place to engage and support learners and which are inclusive of different learner needs
- how adult learning principles are incorporated into the design and delivery of pre-accredited programs.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 3
Linkages with industry and community
Tell us about:
- how you identify and build new, innovative and effective partnerships with industry and the community
- strategies and processes used to ensure that learners are better connected to their local community and local opportunities
- succinct examples of partnerships with industry and community that have been developed and maintained.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 4
High quality business management
Tell us about:
- how you ensure continuous improvement across the organisation
- how you develop the capability and capacity of your workforce
- strategies in place to build a positive workplace culture
- how inclusion and diversity is incorporated into the running of the business.
(Limit: 300 words)
This award recognises recognise excellence and high-level performance by community-based organisations involved in improving foundation skills for work, study and life.
The winner of this award will receive $10,000. Up to 2 remaining finalists for this award in will each receive $1,000.
Eligibility
The nominee must:
- be a registered Learn Local organisation
- have a history of timely compliance with contractual obligations and program requirements
- have delivered pre-accredited training in 2025.
Nominees will be asked to provide these details in response to several eligibility questions at the start of the nomination on Award Force, but this will not count toward the word count of their responses to the selection criteria.
Nominees and nominators must also agree to the conditions of entry.
Note: For the purposes of this award, a ‘large provider’ is defined as a registered Learn Local provider that was allocated more than 10,000 pre-accredited training delivery hours in 2025 (as of 31 Dec 2025) AND also has an organisation total income/revenue of $750,000 or more. If you are applying for this award, please attach a copy of your most recent Annual Financial Report. An online link is also suitable.
What you’ll need to apply
There are three parts to your nomination
- Overview – includes a brief introduction – when your training/programs were delivered in 2025, how long the program/s have been running, how Victorian Government funded contributed to the pre-accredited program/s, the program’s main activities, the learner group/s your training/program targets, how many learners in total participated in your training/programs. (100-word limit)
- Responses to the selection criteria – you have the option to submit a written response (300-word limit) or upload a short video (3 minutes max) with your verbal response to each of the selection criteria. The videos can be shot on a mobile phone or a computer.
- Supporting evidence – up to 10 pages. Attachments may include documents and/or letters of reference as evidence of the nominee’s achievements, curriculum, A-Frames, course plans, learner or trainer testimonials or images.
What the judges are looking for
The judges are looking for clear and relevant examples of the high quality pre-accredited training delivery by the provider. A key emphasis of this award is pathways to further employment, study, or volunteer work, so these should be clearly referenced and quantified with precise data.
Nominators are encouraged to use precise language: short, succinct, and factual statements with dot points to provide evidence. Testimonials from learners, trainers and other community partners or organisations can help support your nomination.
Make sure you tell a positive story about your organisation and training being delivered and how it supports learners to find pathways to further opportunities. Here are some of the judges’ comments from previous years that may help you prepare your nomination.
“A generally detailed response has been provided with specific supporting evidence and case studies.”
“…the nomination could have said more about employability outcomes. But it did well to emphasise the role of performing arts training and performance experience in developing the confidence, digital literacy skills, time management and team work necessary to succeed in life.”
“It would have been good to see examples of further employment outcomes.”
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
High quality pre-accredited training
Tell us about:
- how you demonstrate excellence and high-level performance in Victorian Government funded projects, initiatives and activities
- how you develop learner pathways through successful program activities and training approaches, ensuring success for learners
- examples of your innovative local solutions to emerging local pre-accredited training needs
- systems in place to manage, evaluate and enhance associated programs, projects and activities
- how you implement and keep up with best practice
- how success is measured (e.g. learner outcomes, learner satisfaction and learner progress).
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 2
Learner-centered practice
Tell us about:
- strategies and supports in place to engage and support learners and which are inclusive of different learner needs
- how adult learning principles are incorporated into the design and delivery of pre-accredited programs.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 3
Linkages with industry and community
Tell us about:
- how you identify and build new, innovative and effective partnerships with industry and the community
- strategies and processes used to ensure that learners are better connected to their local community and local opportunities
- succinct examples of partnerships with industry and community that have been developed and maintained.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 4
High quality business management
Tell us about:
- how you ensure continuous improvement across the organisation
- how you develop the capability and capacity of your workforce
- strategies in place to build a positive workplace culture
- how inclusion and diversity is incorporated into the running of the business.
(Limit: 300 words)
This award recognises innovative solutions that have been developed by a registered Learn Local provider in response to a local training challenge or community need. The innovative solution must be a new or revised Victorian Government funded program, project, or activity*.
The innovative solution will demonstrate how the Learn Local sector provides flexible, innovative, quality, and tailored training that meets the needs of learners in their community. It will highlight how Learn Local providers think laterally and innovatively to enable learners to develop their skills for study, work, and life.
The innovative solution will be learner focused and may have required the Learn Local provider to change the way they usually work to ensure they can meet the local training challenge or community need.
Examples of this local training challenge or community need may include, but are not limited to, natural disasters like bushfires or floods, remote and rural learning, or other relevant challenges.
The winner of this award will receive $10,000. Up to 2 remaining finalists for this award will each receive $1,000.
The main difference between this award category and the Learn Local Provider of the Year award categories is that the innovative solution developed for this award must have been in response to a local training challenge or community need. The emphasis of this award is on how the organisation developed and implemented the innovative solution to benefit their community and the corresponding impact.
*‘Activity’ includes all other ‘appropriate activities in support of pre-accredited training’ as listed in the 2025 Pre-accredited Training Delivery Guidelines, hosted on the Learn Local Secure Portal.
Eligibility
To apply for this award category, the nominated innovative solution (i.e., new, or revised program, project, or activity) must:
- be funded by the Victorian Government as listed in the 2025 Pre-accredited Training Delivery Guidelines and Delivery for Term 2, Term 3 and Term 4 2025
- have delivered a substantial amount of the innovative solution during 2025 and the Learn Local provider must have been registered with the ACFE Board at the time it was delivered
- have been developed or modified response to a specific training challenge or community need that occurred during 2025.
Nominees will be asked to provide these details in response to several eligibility questions at the start of the nomination on Award Force, but this will not count toward the word count of their responses to the selection criteria. Nominees and nominators must agree to the conditions of entry.
What you’ll need to apply
There are 3 parts to your application:
- Overview – includes a brief introduction – the name of the innovative solution - this can be a name made up for the purposes of this award nomination, when it was delivered in 2025, how Victorian Government funding contributed to this innovative solution. (100-word limit)
- Responses to the selection criteria – you have the option to submit a written response (300-word limit) or upload a short video (3 minutes max) with your verbal response to each of the selection criteria. The videos can be shot on a mobile phone or a computer.
- Supporting evidence – up to 10 pages. Attachments may include documents and/or letters of reference as evidence of the nominee’s achievements, curriculum, A-Frames, course plans, learner or trainer testimonials or images.
What the judges are looking for
The judges are looking for a clear description of the local training challenge or community need that led to the innovative solution’s development. The judges will pay regard to evidence of how you came up with the innovative solution and its impact on learners.
Using precise language, short succinct factual statements, and dot points to provide your evidence is advised. Testimonials from learners, trainers and other community partners or organisations may also help support your nomination. Here are some of the judges’ comments from previous years that may help you prepare your nomination.
“This is an outstanding program meeting the complex and considerable learning needs of the women participants. It is innovative, practical, learner focused with significant outcomes for the women involved.”
“Clear outcomes of the program have been reported, through the positive responses from participants via the surveys. I would be keen to know more about how outcomes have been shared.”
“Good response, would have benefitted from elaborating further on what aspects of the initiative are innovative.”
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Responding to a local training challenge or community need
Tell us about:
- how the Learn Local program, project or activity was developed, for example how it went about determining the local training challenge or community need, and what steps the provider took to create and then implement the solution
- what aspects of your project, program or activity are innovative.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 2
Outcomes and achievements
Tell us about:
- what the innovative solution has achieved for learners and the community, including evidence of these outcomes
- did you evaluate this initiative, and how have you shared your outcomes and achievements with other providers and the community
- how many learners in total were positively impacted by the innovative solution
- what plans are in place for the innovative solution for the next 12 months.
(Limit: 300 words)
This award recognises a partnership between a Learn Local provider and at least one other organisation, which has resulted in improved learner pathways from Victorian Government funded pre- accredited training to accredited training and/or work.
By working together to achieve a shared goal, it is anticipated that some of the collaborating parties will have changed the way they usually work to ensure the success of the partnership, leading to demonstrable achievements and training impacts.
The sustainability of the partnership will be evident from the plans that are in place for the future as well as an indication of how the partnership could be replicated or adopted in other settings.
The partnership will demonstrate how Learn Local providers and other organisations/sectors can work together to improve pathway opportunities for learners.
The main difference between this award category and the Learn Local Provider and Innovation Award categories is that the emphasis of this award category is on the partnership between the Learn Local provider and other organisation/s, not a particular project or program.
The winner of this award will receive $10,000 (to be shared by all parties). Up to 2 remaining finalists for this award will each receive $1,000 (to be shared by all parties).
Eligibility
To apply for this award category, the nominated partnership must:
- include one or more registered Learn Local provider/s and at least one other organisation (e.g., a TAFE institute, a business etc.)
- have been developed to improve pathways from Victorian Government funded pre-accredited training to accredited training and/or work. The nominated Learn Local provider does not have to have been the lead on the partnership (if there was a lead).
Nominees will be asked to provide these details in response to several eligibility questions at the start of the nomination on Award Force, but this will not count toward the word count of their responses to the selection criteria. Nominees and nominators must agree to the conditions of entry.
What you’ll need to apply
There are 3 parts to your application:
- Overview – includes a brief introduction – the name of the partnership (this can be a name made up for the purposes of this award nomination), how and why the partnership began and if it has ended, who is involved in the partnership, how Victorian Government funding contributed to this partnership, and evidence of a Memorandum of Understanding, or other documentation which highlights the partnership between the Learn Local provider and other organisation/s. (100-word limit)
- Responses to the selection criteria – you have the option to submit a written response (300-word limit) or upload a short video (3 minutes max) with your verbal response to each of the selection criteria. The videos can be shot on a mobile phone or a computer.
- Supporting evidence - up to 10 pages. Attachments may include documents and/or letters of reference as evidence of the nominee’s achievements, curriculum, A-Frames, course plans, learner or trainer testimonials or images.
What the judges are looking for
The judges are looking for a clear and well-referenced description of the way two or more organisations are working together to deliver improved pathways through training.
Make sure you tell a positive story of the partnership, why it was developed, how it continues to function and what the future holds for the partnership. A good nomination will give equal weighting to the contributions of each partner.
Using precise language, short succinct factual statements, and dot points to provide your evidence is acceptable. Testimonials from learners, trainers and other community partners or organisations also help support your nomination. Here are some of the judges’ comments from previous years that may help you prepare your nomination.
“Clear plan for ongoing partnership. Robust development of the program and involvement of former company leader. Clear explanation of what they did to ensure the program succeeded (e.g., equipment).”
“…it would be good to see some quantifiable outcomes - how many learners, how many courses, what are the employment, volunteer or accredited education outcomes?”
“This is a really strong collaboration initiative that meets an obvious gap in pathway support for young adults with a disability, and the variety of initiatives under way to create new learning and work environments, and the offer to share with other Learn Locals, is impressive.”
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Approach to the partnership
Tell us about:
- what was the call to action/objectives leading to the creation of the partnership
- how all parties collaborated to improve pathways from pre-accredited training to accredited training and/or work
- what changes have been implemented as a result of the partnership, and what has been the impact on each partner
- were any risks identified, and if so, how were they managed.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 2
Achievements and training impacts
Tell us about:
- the ways in which the partnership has accomplished its objectives, especially in relation to addressing key barriers/obstacles/challenges (e.g. for learners, for partners etc.) Please give examples
- any enhancements to engagement of learners or training approaches achieved through the partnership
- how learners and all other parties involved (e.g., the community and industry) have benefited from the training outcomes of the partnership.
(Limit: 300 words)
Criterion 3
Sustainability of the collaboration
Tell us about:
- the plans that are in place for the partnership for the next 12 months
- how the partnership could be replicated or adopted in other settings
- any other ways that the partnership is sustainable (even if it has ended).
(Limit: 300 words)
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