Frequently asked questions
FAQs for the NSW Training Awards.
Applying or nominating for an award
The NSW Training Awards celebrate the best of vocational education and training (VET) in NSW and are the premier VET awards in the state.
The NSW Training Awards provide recognition to individuals and serve as a launching pad to opportunities in the VET industry and within their local community.
For organisations, the NSW Training Awards provides great networking opportunities for finalists and the possibility to showcase your organisation's commitment to excellence. Success in the NSW Training Awards raises the profile of your organisation in your industry, your community and with the state government.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
If the learner has a TCID:
- Employer or host employer
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO) or school (if SBAT)
- Industry Consultant or Training Coordinator from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO), etc
- Group Training Organisation (GTO)
- Apprenticeship Network Providers (ANPs)
If the learner is a Vocational Student:
- employer (if related to training or qualification)
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
Apprentice of the Year or Trainee of the Year
- Employer or host employer
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
- Industry Consultant or Training Coordinator from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO), etc
- Group Training Organisation (GTO)
- Apprenticeship Network Providers (ANPs)
School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
- Employer or host employer
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
- Career advisor, principal, a teacher from their school
- Industry Consultant or Training Coordinator from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO), etc
- Group Training Organisation (GTO)
- Apprenticeship Network Providers (ANPs)
VET in Schools Student of the Year
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
- Industry Consultant or Training Coordinator from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO), VET coordinator, etc
- Career Adviser, Principal, Teacher from their school
VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year
- Employer (RTO)
- colleague
- student
- other industry group
Vocational Student of the Year
- Employer (if related to training or qualification)
- Teacher/trainer from their Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
Employers and Training Provider award category entries are to be completed by full-time employees (i.e. not a contractor) with permission from your organisation’s chief executive officer or equivalent.
Self-nomination for individuals is allowed in the VET Trainer/Teacher category only, however, the entry form must still be endorsed by a training provider or employer.
Self-nominations in the Apprentice, Trainee, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student, Vocational Student, School-based Apprentice/Trainee and VET in Schools Student of the Year categories are not accepted.
Individuals can only be nominated for one category. If you have been nominated for more than one category, we will contact your nominator/s to clarify which award is to be selected.
Organisations can apply for more than one award, provided that the eligibility criteria of those awards are met. Note that we do not accept multiple applications for the same award.
There is no limit to the number of apprentices, trainees, students or trainers you can nominate.
All applications must be submitted using the online portal before the closing date.
trainingawardsnsw.awardsplatform.com
No other applications will be accepted, electronic or hardcopy submissions, such as paper, USBs, CDs, DVDs, fax, email or links to external websites or other media platforms.
Please refer to our Key Dates and Events information page.
No, the NSW Training Awards do not charge an application fee.
For more information about the NSW Training Awards, how to enter and eligibility, click on the relevant link/s below:
If you require further information you can also contact us with any questions.
Yes. You will be able to use your existing login details. Just enter your username and password, and you are good to go.
Individual award categories
The rules state that you may only be nominated* once for a training contract. This means that you cannot be nominated* for the same apprenticeship, traineeship or vocational course twice.
If you have progressed to the next level in your training, you can be nominated again. For example:
You were previously nominated for the NSW Trainee of the Year as you did a traineeship in Certificate III in Business Services (Business Administration). You have since completed this traineeship and progressed to a Certificate IV in Business Services (Legal Services). You can be nominated for the NSW Trainee of the Year as it is a different training contract.
You were nominated for NSW School-based Apprentice of the Year Award (you were in Year 12 then). You are now due to complete your apprenticeship in March. You can be nominated for the NSW Apprentice of the Year as this is a different category due to no longer being in the School-based arrangement.
For the VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year Award, a trainer or teacher must not have been selected as the NSW VET Trainer/Teacher of the year winner from the previous year. There must be a one-year gap before another nomination.
Organisation award categories
Organisations can apply again each year, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
*Note: a valid nomination or entry is one that is deemed "complete" or "submitted" on the online application system.
Competency Based Completion (often referred to as "early completion") is a great thing. In general, it means that you excelled at your trade or vocation and that you picked up the skills required a lot quicker than anticipated.
You can be nominated by using either your Competency Based Completion date or your expected completion date, as long as either one of these dates falls within the eligibility of the year you are applying for.
For Vocational students, use the end or completion date of your training/qualification from your training provider.
Note that if you are an apprentice or trainee and you are applying for competency-based completion, you must lodge a Competency Based Completion form [zip] before entering the NSW Training Awards.
If you completed earlier than this or have any questions, contact us.
Yes, you can be nominated by your previous employer or by your training provider.
If your new employer was not part of the training contract, we cannot accept a nomination from them. If you transferred to this employer before completing your training contract, you can be nominated by them.
If you are eligible for more than one individual award category, you can apply for either award so long as you meet the eligibility criteria for that award.
The choice is based on your personal preference.
You may want to note that the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award focuses on lifelong learning and your connection to country, community and culture.
Note: you cannot enter in more than 1 category (e.g. if you are eligible for Trainee of the year and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the year, you must choose one).
Group Training is an employment and training arrangement where a Group Training Organisation (GTO) acts as the primary employer to apprentices and trainees and then hires them out to other businesses (known as ‘host employers') whilst they are undertaking their formal training.
If you're filling in a nomination form and are unsure whether you are employed by a GTO, please talk to the person that is nominating you or ring Training Services NSW on 13 28 11.
The best way to answer this question is to discuss the mandatory attachments first (i.e. those that must be included with the application), and then move to the optional attachments. And before going any further, there’s a couple of things you need to keep in mind:
- A minimum of two attachments must be attached to the application
- The selection criteria must be the focus of the nomination (not the attachments)
- Whenever you attach a document, photo, or video to an application, you must ensure it is referenced in the selection criteria.
Yes. The combined attachment page limit is 5 pages, and the maximum size for each file is 5MB. You can upload PDF and JPEG files.
If you exceed the 5-page limit, only the first 5 pages will be assessed.
And remember – you must attach at least 2 supporting documents to the application.
What happens next
All nominations for individual awards are provided to your local Training Services.
These applications are assessed and you may be interviewed if your application has been successful.
Find out more on the award process.
After the closing date for nominations, your regional NSW Training Awards team will assess your application.
You will be advised in writing about the progress of your nomination.
Winners will be announced at either a regional or state event.
Regional winners of the individual award categories (Apprentice, Trainee, School-Based Apprentice/Trainee, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student, Vocational Student, VET in Schools Student & VET Trainer/Teacher) will progress to the next stage where they will represent their region and be invited for a state interview in Sydney.
These interviews will be held from mid-to late July and candidates will be shortlisted to compete at the NSW Training Awards event in Sydney in September.
All regional winners will be required to attend a professional development session, which will be provided by each regional committee in preparation for state interviews.
Of course! You have achieved something special and deserve to celebrate.
State finalists and winners can request copies of the logos NSW Training Awards for their specific award, for use in your advertising material. The NSW Training Awards will provide a .jpg for digital use and an .eps file for print use.
All we ask in return is a copy of the publication.
Yes. Please send an email to the NSW Training Awards team on nsw.trainingawards@det.nsw.edu.au with your name, current contact details (preferably a mobile phone number), and your award category.
Please be advised, feedback regarding judging and selection can be requested within the period up to 30th September.
Feedback is provided by the chair of the selection panel that reviewed your entry. We try to accommodate feedback requests quickly, but we cannot guarantee a speedy reply as the panel members belong to different industries across the state.