Excellence in Diversity

The South Australian Excellence in Diversity Award recognises an organisation that has demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting students and/or employees in overcoming significant barriers or disadvantage to effectively participate in VET.

Please note this is a South Australia-only award category. Winners of this category are not nominated for the Australian Training Awards.

Download the South Australian Training Awards Nominations Guide

PDF

Eligibility criteria

Your organisation must be an organisation, enterprise, or registered training organisation (RTO) that:

  • delivers or has achieved excellence in the provision of nationally recognised training that leads to a formal VET qualification in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2023

and/or

  • delivers training that does not lead to nationally recognised formal qualifications (i.e. non-accredited training) in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2023.

Non-accredited training must contribute to increased employability, and applicants must demonstrate real and tangible employee outcomes.

Please note: Professional development training initiatives will not be accepted.

To nominate for this Award your organisation must have demonstrated success in supporting students or employees who have experienced significant barriers or disadvantage to effectively participate in VET. Your students and/or employees may have experienced the following barriers to participation:

  • low level of education and skill development
  • low literacy and numeracy skills
  • disability
  • be from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including refugees
  • long-term unemployment
  • health issues
  • returning to the workforce following caregiving, family responsibilities or a change of circumstance.

Applicants to the South Australian Excellence in Diversity Award will be subject to quality assurance checks. The checks will inform the selection process of applicants to this State-based Awards category.


Conditions of entry

Preparing your nomination

Section A: Overview

Provide a brief overview covering why you are applying for this Award. Include a description of the training courses or qualifications you have offered, developed, or customised to support students and/or employees to overcome barriers to participating in VET.

Limit: 400 words

This information will not be considered or used for judging purposes, but it may be used as your summary throughout the Awards process.

Section B

Applicants will be judged against the following criteria.

Consider and explain:

  • the circumstances that made accessing and participating in VET a challenge for your students and/or employees
  • personal and/or career barriers that prevented your students and/or employees from training and securing sustainable employment or a career pathway.
  • how students and/or employees were motivated to start their VET studies
  • challenges students and/or employees faced while completing their course/training
  • strategies your organisation developed and used to ensure students and/or employees were able to successfully participate in VET.

Limit: 400 words

Consider:

  • who or what motivated your students and/or employees (person or program)
  • how innovation and excellence in design and delivery of training supported overcoming these barriers
  • the role the training provider played and discuss how you used high quality and leading practice in VET to assist in overcoming participation barriers
  • if students and/or employees thought about leaving their studies before they were completed
  • strategies your organisation put in place to address this situation
  • how students and/or employees were motivated to keep going.

Limit: 400 words

Tell us about:

  • what the organisation learnt and how the organisation put learnings into practice
  • how the courses/training you developed assisted your students and/or employees
  • the quality of your training and the ‘training culture’ you have established within your organisation
  • the successes of your students and/or employees
  • how many have secured employment, gone on to further training or are being recognised in their community or workplace.

Limit: 400 words

Tell us about:

  • Where to next? What are your plans to continue to grow your commitment to equity in training and to make a significant contribution and positive impact on students and/or employees who are from groups under-represented in employment, education and training.

Limit: 400 words


Attachments

Up to ten single A4 page attachments to be provided at a 100 per cent ratio, with one document per page.

All attachments need to be referenced in the nomination.

Nominations are now closed for the 2024 South Australian Training Awards.

Key dates

  • 25 March - Nominations open
  • 24 May - Nominations close
  • June - July - Judging process
  • August - Awards finalists announced
  • 25 September - South Australian Training Awards Gala Presentation
  • October - Professional Development workshops for individual winners in preparation for the Australian Training Award
  • 6 December - Australian Training Awards, Canberra