Small Employer of the Year

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

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

To be eligible for shortlisting for the Australian Training Awards the organisation’s head office must be located in South Australia.


Download the South Australian Training Awards 2025 Nominations Guide

Download pdf

Eligibility criteria

Your organisation must:

  • employ 99 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
  • deliver to employees, nationally recognised vocational education and training that leads to formal qualifications or Statements of Attainment issued by a registered training organisation (RTO) under the Australian Qualifications Framework
  • demonstrate employees are working in South Australia.

The South Australian Training Awards accepts applications from:

  • individual employers
  • 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.

Nominations will not be accepted from organisations whose core business is VET (these organisations may consider nominating for either the Large or Small Training Provider of the Year award categories).

Conditions of entry

Preparing your nomination


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)

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: Selection Criteria

Applicants will be judged against the following selection criteria:

Consider:

  • your involvement in designing training and/or assessment 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 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 VET 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 and assessment 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)

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 for the 2025 South Australian Training Awards are now open.

Nominate now

2025 Key Dates

23 May Nominations close
June - July Judging process
August Awards finalists announced
25 September South Australian Training Awards Gala Presentation
October - November Professional Development Program for winners in preparation for the Australian Training Awards
December Australian Training Awards