Small Employer of the Year

The Small Employer of the Year award recognises a small enterprise that has achieved excellence in the provision of nationally recognised training to its employees.

Nationally recognised training refers to training based on a national training package or accredited course which results in a person receiving a formal qualification or Statement of Attainment issued by an RTO. This includes Australian apprenticeships and traineeships.

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Eligibility criteria

To nominate for this award, an organisation must employ 99 or fewer full time equivalent employees and deliver nationally recognised vocational education and training to their employees that leads to formal qualifications or Statements of Attainment issued by a Registered Training Organisation under the Australian Qualifications Framework.

The South Australian Training Awards accepts applications from individual employers and joint from:

  • a partnership between a single Host Employer and a single Group Training Organisation
  • Host Employers or Group Training Organisations who nominate for the award are required to have their partner agree to the nomination
  • employers must nominate for the relevant award in the state or territory where their head office is located.

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 categories).

2023 state winners of this category are nominated to enter a shortlisting process for the Australian Training Awards.

Preparing your application

Section A: Business Summary

Provide a brief description of your business, including the products or services that you offer and any major milestones you have achieved.

(limit: 500 words)

Section B: Applicants will be judged against the following selection criteria:

  • Criterion 1: Extent and quality of training for employees
  • Criterion 2: Achievements of the business and its employees that can be attributed to training
  • Criterion 3: Innovation and excellence in design and delivery of training

Addressing the criteria

This information will be considered and used for shortlisting and judging purposes. Please be aware that your responses to the criteria will be strengthened by including measurable results and appropriate indicators, including customer satisfaction data and other types of external validation.

If you are nominating as a joint partnership, the responses to the selection criteria must only be based on work jointly completed and achievements jointly accomplished by both organisations.

The considerations listed under each criterion clarify what to include when addressing the criterion.

Consider:

  • your involvement in designing training specifically for your business, either alone or in partnership with training organisations
  • the qualifications or courses that your employees are undertaking
  • the percentage of your employees who are actively engaged in training
  • 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 in particular 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)

Consider how:

  • training has improved the productivity and wellbeing of your employees (briefly describe the personal training achievements of a few of your staff)
  • training has improved your relationships with clients
  • training has improved the productivity and profitability of your business
  • you measure the benefits of training
  • training will improve your business in the future
  • training is integrated into business planning.

(limit: 800 words)

Consider:

  • details of creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training for your employees
  • innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
  • innovative approaches that you use to encourage access to training for your employees (e.g., Mentoring, e-learning, collaborative learning).

(limit: 800 words)

Up to ten (10) single A4 page attachments are permitted, with each attachment to be provided at a 100 per cent ratio, one document per page. Attachments must be referenced in your application. No multimedia items or discs will be accepted, and any material exceeding the maximum number of attachments (10) will not be considered.

2023 state winners of this category are nominated to enter a shortlisting process for the Australian Training Awards.

Applications have now closed for the 2023 South Australian Training Awards

  • 17 April 2023 - Applications open
  • 11 June 2023 - Applications close 6pm
  • July 2023 - Judging
  • 21 September 2023 - South Australian Training Awards celebration event
  • 17 November 2023 - Australian Training Awards presentation event (Hobart)