Western Australian Small Employer of the Year Award: Category information and application documents

Here you'll find all the information you need to take the leap and apply for Small Employer of the Year in the WA Training Awards.
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This award recognises small businesses that have achieved excellence in the provision of nationally recognised training* to their employees.

Check the eligibility criteria

To apply for this award, an organisation must:

  • meet the Australian Training Awards Conditions of Entry requirements
  • 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
  • employ 99 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees*
  • nominate in the state or territory where their head office is located, and
  • have won the equivalent state or territory training award in 2024.

* If these criteria are not met, nominees may be eligible to apply for the Large Employer of the Year Award.

Please note:

  • Joint applications are accepted from a partnership between a single Host Employer and a Group Training Organisation. Host Employers or Group Training Organisations who nominate for the award are required to have their partner agree to the nomination, however there is no requirement to jointly write the nomination.
  • 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 Award).

We are here to help

Talk to us

Contact the WA Training Awards team if you are unsure about the application process, require support with your application, or if you would like further information about the awards program.
 

View our webinars

We have produced webinars to provide you with an opportunity to hear from previous WA Training Awards organisation category winners about their experience. Get a run down on what to expect throughout the awards process, and learn what the judges are looking for in an award winning application. 
 
 
Note: These webinars were recorded in 2023, and feature award winners from previous years.

Frequently asked questions

If you have any questions or are unsure about the criteria, eligibility or application process please take a look at our answers to frequently asked questions.
 
 

Ready to take the leap?

Follow these steps

Please read the information in each of the steps below carefully, to ensure that your application can be accepted.

Step 1: Check the conditions of entry

  • Applications must be submitted online via the WA Training Awards application portal by 5:00 pm on the closing date. All applicable sections of the portal must be completed, including all required attachments.
  • Each category requires supporting documentation and references, and these must be uploaded and attached to the online application under the 'Attachments' section.
  • Applicants can apply for one category only, and must meet the eligibility criteria for that category.
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have selected the correct category.
  • Application responses must be no longer than the maximum word limit allowed.
  • The WA Training Awards is a self-nomination process. Applicants must personally prepare and submit their own applications. However, it is recommended that applicants get a friend, coworker or family member to review their application before submitting.
  • In addition to the required attachments, applicants may attach additional relevant supporting evidence (individual applicants may attach no more than five A4 pages and organisation applicants no more than ten A4 pages).
  • Applicants acknowledge that the information submitted in the 'overview' will be summarised and used as a profile should they be selected as a finalist.
  • Applicants must supply factually correct information with the understanding that this will be checked and confirmed before the application is progressed to the judging panel.
  • Applicants must agree to abide by the decision of the selection panel, as no appeals will be entered into.
  • By entering, finalists and winners agree for their photographs, profiles, video footage, training details and suburbs to be used for promotional purposes by the Government of Western Australia and Commonwealth of Australia. The check box in the application portal must be ticked to substantiate this.
  • Applicants must comply with Department of Training and Workforce Development standards in regards to training, workplace health and safety, and industrial relations matters.
  • Applicants agree to notify the Awards team immediately, should there be a change in an applicant’s circumstances with regard to their training or employment.
  • Applicants must advise the Awards team of changes to their contact details.
  • Individual finalists must participate in the judging day, which includes attending an interview, to remain eligible.
  • Eligible category winners* in individual categories must attend a two-day professional development workshop, before the Australian Training Awards finalist week and presentation dinner.
  • Applicants acknowledge that, should they win their WA Training Award category, their original application will be submitted to the Australian Training Awards if their category is eligible. The Australian Training Awards will allow State winners to update content only where there is new information or information has changed between nominated dates.

* Does not include the Cultural Diversity Training Award or International Student of the Year Award.

Step 2: Read the application guide

To understand the process and what's required for your application in the Small Employer of the Year Award category, please read through the application guide available below. 

Be sure to check the eligibility requirements and the conditions of entry for the category that you are applying for.

The application guide also has hints and useful tips on how to submit a great application.

View the organisation award category application guide

Step 3: Provide an overview of your organisation

In addition to a 500-word summary of your organisation, applicants should provide the following details as part of their application.

  • Australian business number
  • RTO number
  • Number of currently enrolled students*
  • Number of narrow ASCED fields of education that you offer**
  • Number of qualifications listed on your scope of registration currently being delivered
  • Number of units of competency listed on your scope of registration currently being delivered
  • Number of skill sets listed on your scope of registration currently being delivered
  • Number of accredited courses on your scope of registration currently being delivered
  • Completion rate for qualifications (in the year previous to this award)  - %
  • Completion rate for units of competency (in the year previous to this award)  - %
  • Completion rate for skill sets (in the year previous to this award) - %
  • Completion rate for accredited courses (in the year previous to this award)  - %
  • Number of full time equivalent staff
  • Number of casual staff
  • Number of contract staff
  • Length of time in operation (years)
  • Percentage of annual turnover attributed to Australian Government funding
  • Percentage of annual turnover attributed to State Government funding
  • Percentage of annual turnover attributed to fee for service funding

*Please attach evidence of the breakdown of your enrolled student numbers in each state and territory (as provided to NCVER in the most recent annual data collection period). Note that this attachment is not counted towards the attachment limit.

**Qualifications and accredited courses are each assigned a four-digit Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) ‘narrow’ field of education code. There are 71 ‘narrow’ fields of education, and they identify the subject matter relating to a program of study.

Step 4: Complete the selection criteria

The following criteria are to be completed as part of the online application process. An 800-word limit applies for each.

Criterion 1: High quality and leading practice in vocational education and training (VET)

How do you provide high quality VET? For example, you may consider:

  • how you demonstrate excellence and high level performance in nationally accredited training arrangements;
  • how you provide creative and innovative solutions to emerging training needs;
  • the systems you have in place to manage, evaluate and enhance your VET products and services;
  • how you implement and keep up with best practice;
  • how your training influences best practice;
  • how you measure success (eg outcome and completion data, satisfaction surveys, independent validations and evaluations, industry recognition, business outcomes from training activity); and
  • how you undertake continuous improvement and apply quality controls within your organisation.

Criterion 2: Meeting student needs

How do you support students and meet their needs in vocational education and training? For example, you may consider:

  • how you encourage access to your VET products and services;
  • what support services you provide to students during their training;
  • the systems you have in place to be able to reach different cohorts (eg online training);
  • how you are inclusive of different students’ needs;
  • how you provide students with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace;
  • how satisfied students are with their training; and
  • the success you have achieved in meeting the needs of equity groups.

Criterion 3: Meeting industry needs

How do you monitor industry and market needs? For example, you may consider:

  • how you build new, innovative and effective partnerships with industry in the local or wider community;
  • how you collect data on and understand industry/business needs and expectations;
  • your capacity and flexibility to meet changing training needs and new training markets; and
  • how your training reflects changing industry requirements and expectations.

Criterion 4: High quality business management

How do you manage your business to ensure it is operating at a high quality? For example, you may consider:

  • the strategies you have in place to identify local/regional issues (eg social, economic, industrial or environmental issues) and how you incorporate these into your service delivery;
  • the systems you have in place for planning and communicating your purpose, vision, goals, values and core business strategies (and for creating alignment across your whole organisation);
  • how you develop the capability and capacity of your workforce;
  • the strategies you have in place to build a positive workplace culture;
  • how you support employee wellbeing and positive mental health;
  • how you incorporate inclusion and diversity into running your business;
  • how you identify and attract new clients and new markets, and how you address these without impacting the sustainability of your operations;
  • how you enrol, train and report on online learners; and
  • how you ensure the sustainability of your operations, including your understanding of risk and risk management.

Criterion 5: Innovation and excellence in design and delivery of training

How you demonstrate innovation in your approach to the design and delivery of training for students? For example, you may consider:

  • details of creativity, innovation and excellence in the design, development and delivery of training;
  • how you demonstrate creativity and innovation in the design and development of your processes and techniques (operational or educational);
  • innovative methods that you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training; and
  • innovative approaches that you use to encourage access to training for your students (eg mentoring, elearning, collaborative learning).

Templates to help with your application

You may also like to look at our example draft application templates, as a guide to helping you respond to the selection criteria and complete your application.

View the organisation awards draft application templates

Step 5: Complete any required documents

Make sure you have completed the following documents required for all Small Employer of the Year Award applicants. A template for each document is available via the links below.

  • A signed talent release form (to enable WA Training Awards to use your photo and information if you are a finalist or winner).

View the talent release form

For this category, you must also provide an endorsement from your organisation's Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director.

CEO/MD endorsement template

Step 6: Lodge your application online

If you meet all of the eligibility criteria; once you have prepared your responses to the selection criteria for the category and have all of the required documents signed and completed, you are ready to submit your application via our online portal.

Key dates

Please be sure to check the key dates for this year's awards programs, for the closing date and time to submit your application.

Information about lodging your application online is available here

Western Australian Training Awards

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