This award recognises small, registered training organisations (RTOs) that offer a range of training products and services, and that demonstrate excellence and high-level performance in all aspects of vocational education and training.
Meet the finalists in the Small Training Provider of the Year category for the 2026 South Australian Training Awards
Proudly sponsored by
ELC Training Australia is a rapidly growing, industry-led Registered Training Organisation established in 2021 to address workforce shortages and job-readiness gaps in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.
Its distinctive workplace‑embedded training model places learners directly within early learning settings, where structured training is delivered onsite and aligned to real workplace practice.
Strong industry partnerships and a comprehensive wraparound support model underpin student success, including tailored learning plans, wellbeing services and mentoring. This approach has delivered measurable growth, with enrolments increasing by almost 20 per cent and completion rates doubling in 2025.
ELC Training’s regional expansion is a key point of difference, with trainers travelling extensively across the Yorke and Mid North regions to deliver training in communities experiencing critical workforce shortages. By embedding training locally and working closely with employers, ELC Training is strengthening workforce pipelines and delivering job‑ready educators where they are most needed.
Specialising in horticulture, agribusiness and green‑life industries, Ironwood Institute delivers industry‑aligned training that combines classroom learning with practical experience at outdoor worksites.
Ironwood’s strong industry integration means students gain hands‑on experience through partnerships with organisations such as Adelaide City Council and the National Wine Centre working in the Adelaide Botanic Garden, the Virginia Horticulture Centre and commercial growing facilities.
This approach supports high levels of student engagement and employment outcomes, reinforced by strong industry recognition and student achievement.
Ironwood is also leading innovation in emerging sectors, as the only provider in Australia delivering training in protected horticulture aligned to advanced agricultural technologies and has expanded operations into rural and regional South Australia.
Through flexible pathways and a strong focus on inclusion, Ironwood is preparing a future workforce prepared to grapple with the challenges of food security, climate change adaptation and native vegetation restoration.
MTC Training, the Registered Training Organisation of Cardijn College’s Marcellin Technical Campus, delivers an integrated model of vocational education combining SACE and nationally recognised training and apprenticeships. This approach provides clear, supported pathways from school into employment in priority trade areas.
Programs are developed in close partnership with industry and delivered in purpose‑built facilities, ensuring students build practical skills aligned to workforce needs.
A key feature of the model is project‑based learning, where students apply their skills through real community projects, such as designing and constructing infrastructure for local organisations.
This integrated approach delivers strong outcomes, including high completion rates and more than 90 per cent of graduates moving directly into apprenticeships or employment. MTC also supports students from other schools from the southern coastal suburbs through to the Fleurieu Peninsula.
By combining technical training with mentoring, wellbeing support and values‑based education, MTC Training prepares confident, capable graduates.