Business categories
The Small Employer of the Year Award celebrates small businesses that have achieved excellence in the provision of nationally recognised training for their employees. The winner of this award will be nominated to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards.
Eligibility
Your organisation must:
- deliver nationally recognised vocational education and training for your employees that leads to formal qualifications or Statements of Attainment, issued by a registered training organisation (RTO) under the Australian Qualifications Framework
- employ 99 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
Note: nominations will not be accepted from organisations whose core business is the delivery of vocational education and training (these organisations may consider nominating for either the Large or Small Training Provider of the Year).
Overview
Provide a brief description of your business, including the products and/or services offered, plus any major milestones that have been achieved.
(Limit: 500 words)
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Extent and quality of training for employees
Tell us about:
- how your organisation (either alone or in partnership with training organisations) has designed training specifically for your business
- the qualifications or courses that your employees are undertaking
- the percentage of your employees who are actively engaged in training
- how many hours per month (average) that your employees spend in training
- how you integrate on-the-job and off-the-job training
- how you commit to equity in training such as for employees who are from groups that are under-represented in employment, education and training (such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people in older age groups, people living in remote areas).
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 2
Achievements of the business and its employees that can be attributed to training
Tell us about:
- how training has improved the productivity and well-being of your employees (briefly describe the personal training achievements of a few of your staff)
- how training has improved your relationships with clients
- how training has improved the productivity and profitability of your business
- how you measure the benefits of training
- how training will improve your business in the future
- how training is integrated into business planning.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 3
Innovation and excellence in design and delivery of training
Tell us about:
- how your business has shown creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training for your employees
- the innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
- the innovative approaches that you use to encourage training for your employees (e.g. mentoring, e-learning, collaborative learning).
(Limit: 800 words)
The Large Employer of the Year Award celebrates large businesses and enterprises that have achieved excellence in the provision of nationally recognised training to their employees. The winner of this award will be nominated to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards.
Eligibility
Your organisation must:
- deliver nationally recognised vocational education and training for your employees that leads to formal qualifications or Statements of Attainment issued by a Registered Training Organisation under the Australian Qualifications Framework
- employ 100 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
Note: nominations will not be accepted from organisations whose core business is the delivery of vocational education and training (these organisations may consider nominating for either the Large or Small Training Provider of the Year Award).
Overview
Provide a brief description of your business, including the products and/or services offered, plus any major milestones that have been achieved.
(Limit: 500 words)
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Extent and quality of training to employees
Tell us about:
- how your organisation (either alone or in partnership with training organisations) has designed training specifically for your business
- the qualifications or courses that your employees are undertaking
- the percentage of your employees who are actively engaged in training
- how many hours per month (average) that your employees spend in training
- how you integrate on-the-job and off-the-job training.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 2
Achievements of the business and its employees that can be attributed to training
Tell us about:
- how training has improved the productivity and well-being of your employees (briefly describe the personal training achievements of a few of your staff)
- how training has improved your relationships with clients
- how training has improved the productivity and profitability of your business
- how you measure the benefits of training
- how training will improve your business in the future.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 3
Integration of training into business planning
Tell us about:
- the training aims of your business
- the ‘training culture’ that you have established within your business
- how training fits into your workforce development and business planning
- how you have formalised an ongoing commitment to training
- how you assess the training needs of your employees.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 4
Innovation and excellence in design and delivery of training
Tell us about:
- how your business has shown creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training for your employees
- the innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
- the innovative approaches that you use to encourage training for your employees (e.g. mentoring, e-learning, collaborative learning).
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 5
Commitment to equity in training
Tell us about:
- how you commit to equity in training such as for employees who are from groups that are under-represented in employment, education and training (such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people in older age groups, people living in remote areas)
- the number of these employees who have actively engaged in training
- the number of these employees who have actively trained for managerial or supervisory jobs
- the training programs that have been specifically designed for these employees.
(Limit: 800 words)
The Employer Award for Apprenticeship Development recognises those employers who have made innovative improvements in training which provide beneficial outcomes for their Victorian apprentices and/or trainees and their local community. This is a Victorian-only award and does not articulate to the Australian Training Awards.
Eligibility
Your organisation must:
- be an employer of Victorian apprentices or trainees at some time between 1 January 2025 and 5 June 2026
- have a formalised training contracts of apprenticeships or traineeships.
Overview
Provide a brief description of your business, including the products and/or services offered, plus any major milestones that have been.
(Limit: 500 words)
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Innovation in the delivery of training for apprentices and/or trainees
Tell us about:
- how you have demonstrated innovation in your approach to the design and delivery of training for apprentices and/or trainees
- the training programs and initiatives you have implemented and how they have improved outcomes for apprentices and/or trainees
- any processes or new approaches you have adopted for the delivery of the training
- any unique elements of the training program(s)
- the availability of quality training pathways.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 2
Links with training providers and the community
Tell us about:
- how you have partnered or collaborated with training providers and the broader community to deliver innovative training and skill outcomes
- the partners included in the training of apprentices and/or trainees, including RTOs and Australian Apprenticeship Support Network providers
- the extent of participation and the benefits of these partnerships
- how the skills required within the local community have been met
- how the training programs have been promoted externally.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 3
Apprentice and/or trainee outcomes
Tell us about:
- how your approach to training has impacted positively on individual apprentices and/or trainees
- evidence of successful learning outcomes for apprentices and/or trainees (for example, data relating to their progress, positive work outcomes and retention and completion rates)
- if you have customised training/developed innovative use of recognition of prior learning and skills acquisition
- if your individual apprentices and/or trainees have increased their foundation skill levels
- any workplace mentoring in place and the resultant benefits.
(Limit: 800 words)
The Industry Collaboration Award recognises exemplary skills development collaborations between at least one employer or industry body and at least one organisation delivering nationally recognised vocational education and training. The winner of this award will be nominated to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards.
Eligibility
The collaboration must:
- have at least one party who is an industry organisation (e.g. employer, enterprise, group of enterprises, industry association, industry advisory body, trade union or professional association)
- have at least one party who is delivering nationally recognised vocational education and training or directly contributing to the outcomes of nationally recognised vocational education and training which leads to formal qualifications or Statements of Attainment under the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Note: applications will not be accepted from organisations operating under contractual ‘partnership’ agreements.
Overview
Provide an overview of the collaboration.
(Limit: 500 words)
Selection criteria
Criterion 1
Outstanding practice of the collaboration
Tell us about:
- the basis of the collaboration agreement that have been so successful
- the specific training need being addressed by the collaboration
- the exemplary or innovative aspects that are a feature of the collaboration.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 2
Achievements of the collaboration for training
Tell us about:
- examples of excellence in the training delivered
- the training outcomes that have been achieved (including qualifications and skill sets awarded)
- the improvements in the quality of learning and assessment that have been implemented
- any new or improved career pathways and opportunities that have been created.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 3
Training impacts of the collaboration
Tell us about:
- how the collaboration has benefited the participants, the community, the collaborating organisations and the broader training system
- the improvements in the process or procedures of all collaborating organisations that have been implemented
- what contribution is there to social equity, especially increasing the participation of people from groups underrepresented in the industry or workplaces.
(Limit: 800 words)
Criterion 4
Sustainability and future of the collaboration
Tell us about:
- any aspects of the collaboration that utilises government funding. If so, how could the collaboration be continued if government funding ceased?
- how the outcomes of the collaboration can be replicated or modelled for other industries
- the quality improvement or performance evaluations of the collaboration that are in place and planned.
(Limit: 800 words)
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