Nanga Mai Awards

The Nanga Mai Awards are an annual event organised by Aboriginal Education and Communities. The awards recognise and celebrate innovation, excellence and educational achievement in Aboriginal education in NSW public schools, school communities and within the department.

NSW Premier's Award for Public Service

The NSW Premier's Awards for Public Service recognise excellence in the delivery of public services to the NSW community by the public sector, not-for-profit organisations and private businesses. The awards are administered by the Public Service Commission.

Nominations for the NSW Premier's Awards are now open. Nominate now by registering for an account at the award portal.

Nominations close on Friday 17 May 2024. The award ceremony will be held on 18 November 2024.

NSW Service Medallion

The NSW Service Medallion is presented to public servants who have worked for 40 or more years in meritorious service to the people of New South Wales.

Any eligible employees of the department can be nominated using the nomination form.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted to ServiceRecognition@det.nsw.edu.au who will process, seek Secretary approval, and submit to the Premier's Department.

Nominations are accepted by the Premier's Department twice a year.

• Nomination form
• Frequently asked questions
• Criteria and guidelines

NSW Training Awards

The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by Training Services NSW within the NSW Department of Education to recognise outstanding achievement in the vocational education and training sector. The Awards honour and reward the achievements of students, Trainers/Teachers, Registered Training Organisations, large and medium Employers.

• Award categories
• Eligibility and selection criteria
• Key dates and events

People's Choice Awards

You have the opportunity to vote for your favourite People's Choice finalist in each of the Apprentice, Trainee, School-Based Apprentice/Trainee, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award Categories.

Public Service Medal

The Public Service Medal is a prestigious medal within the Australian Honours System designed to recognise Public Sector Officers who have made a contribution to the community through the outstanding performance of their duties.

Who can be nominated?

Public Sector employees of the Commonwealth Government, State and Territory governments and local governments are eligible to be nominated for the Medal.

Department employees who deserve recognition for outstanding performance of their duties can be nominated. The medal is awarded for meritorious service. Long service alone is not a sufficient basis for nomination.

The medal is not confined to senior officers. It is available to any public sector employee. In the past has been awarded to administrative or clerical staff and employees involved in operational roles. In all of these instances, "outstanding service" has been the definitive criteria for the medal.

When do nominations close?

Nominations for the Public Service Medal are sought twice a year for Australia Day in January and King's Birthday in June.

Nominations for the Public Service Medal for announcement on Australia Day 2025 are now open.

Nominations should be prepared using the guidelines and nomination form below. Completed nominations are to be emailed to OurCulture@det.nsw.edu.au. You may contact the same email address with any questions regarding nominations.

Nominations close at 5pm on Wednesday, 3 July 2024.

Guidelines and nomination form

• Nomination form (PDF 643)
• Nomination guidelines (PDF 196KB)

Completed nominations are to be emailed to OurCulture@det.nsw.edu.au during the nomination period.

Please do not send the nomination directly to the Secretary of the department or to the Premier's Department.

Service certificates

The department presents certificates for 20, 30, 40 and 50 years of service to eligible staff in recognition of their service to students in NSW public schools.

Who can receive service certificates?

Department staff who have met the service requirements

Who can apply for service certificates?

Staff do not apply for a service certificate.

Relevant school education directors, principals and line managers will be contacted to confirm eligible staff. Human Resources will then forward certificates to managers for presentation to staff at a suitable opportunity.

Service medals

The department presents service medals to staff ceasing employment in recognition of their service to the students of NSW.

Who can receive a service medal?

All staff who have more than 10 years of service in the department and have ceased employment (eg retired) are entitled to a service medal.

Who can request a medal?

To obtain service medals for eligible staff, school principals and state office personnel should visit the service medal intranet page (password required).