Victorian VET in Schools Excellence Award

Category information

Victorian Training Awards

The Victorian VET in Schools Excellence Award will recognise an outstanding training program which delivers vocational education and training to secondary school students. The program may be coordinated by secondary schools, industry groups, or by way of partnerships between schools, industry and Group Training Organisations, Local Community Partnerships or any other variation.

The winner is awarded $10,000 and is recognised as the best in Victoria’s world-class training system.

Whilst Victoria is conducting the VET in Schools Excellence Award at the state level, this award category does not articulate through to the Australian Training Awards, and the winners of this category will not advance directly through to the national awards.

National Awards

The VET in Schools Excellence is now referred to as a National Focus Award category of the Australian Training Awards and is managed by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). To nominate for this Award at the national level, your nomination addressing the National Focus Award selection criteria for this category must be sent directly to DEEWR. Nominations for this award open May 2011 and selection criteria will be available on the Australian Training Awards website.

Please note: Victorian VET in Schools Excellence Award winners do not advance to the Australian Training Awards and a separate nomination process will need to be followed to nominate for this award category at the national level.

Eligibility and conditions

The nominated program must:

• be based on training packages or industry/enterprise competency standards.
• lead to qualifications or statements of attainment under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
• agree to the full Conditions of Entry.

Preparing your application

• Applications are to be in 12 pt font and a maximum of twenty (20) A4 pages including attachments. Any material in excess of twenty (20) pages will not be forwarded to the judging panel.
• The award criteria should be the focus of your application, however, any relevant evidence may be provided so long as it does not exceed the required page limit.

Section A: Overview

Provide an overview of the training* program(s) delivered by your organisation, including objectives, a description of the environment in which the programs are delivered and any specific challenges which have been encountered in the implementation of the training program.

* denotes nationally recognised training, i.e. training which is based on a National Training Package or Accredited Course and results in a formal qualification or Statement of Attainment by a Registered Training Organisation.  This includes Australian Apprenticeships.

Section B: Applicants will be judged against the following criteria

• Criterion 1: Meeting student needs
• Criterion 2: Strategic planning processes
• Criterion 3: Industry and community support
• Criterion 4: Sustainability and evaluation of the program

Addressing the criteria

When developing your application against the award criteria, you may wish to take into account some of the considerations outlined below, if they are relevant to your organisation. These suggestions are not additional criteria, but are provided to give clarification of what may be relevant to include when writing against the award criteria.

1. How the program meets the needs of the students

Consider:

• details of specific teaching and learning environments, including any unique and/or innovative aspects
• the outcomes of the program, including qualifications achieved by students and whether they are endorsed by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
• integration of on-the-job and off-the-job training, including any links with school assessment tasks
• how the program caters for all students including those with special needs, such as Indigenous students, students with disabilities, students from a non-English speaking background, students in remote areas, gifted and talented students
• any strategies in place to encourage participation by all students and support from parents and the wider school community
• Implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in your training program e.g. e-learning.

2. Strategic planning processes

Consider:

• details of the external environment in which the organisation operates and its relationship to Victorian and national policies and priorities
• systems and processes for planning and communicating purpose, vision and goals, values, core business strategies, and creating alignment across the whole organisation.

3. Effective industry/community support

Consider:

• any unique and/or innovative aspects of partnerships and relationships with external organisations
• whether there are formal and informal agreements to facilitate partnerships and provide financial or in-kind contributions to the program including industry engagement
• how the needs of partner organisations and/or the community are met by the program
• any strategies underway to foster new partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships, including their impact or level of success
• actions taken to raise awareness of the program in the general community and to build relationships with the general community
• evidence of recognition or acknowledgment by those involved or by third parties
• any support evident from the rest of the school community.

4. Sustainability and evaluation

Consider:

• systems and processes for continuous improvement, including evaluation and review
• capacity for further development or broader application, or replication at other sites
• any plans in place to ensure long term sustainability.

What assistance can I get to write my application?

A seminar to assist nominees to write effective applications will be held on Wednesday 6 April 2011 at 4.30pm at Treasury Theatre, Lower Plaza, 1 Macarthur Street.

Checklists

Nomination checklist

When completing your application, check that you:

• Meet all of the eligibility requirements for the category;
• Use 12 point fonts only;
• Keep to twenty (20) A4 pages including attachments;
• Directly address the criteria in your written application;
• Read and agree to conditions of entry;
• Meet the deadline of 6 May at 5pm (date all applications need to be received);
• Submit online
  

Criteria checklist

Have you answered all of the following criteria?

•    Criterion 1: Meeting student needs
•    Criterion 2: Strategic planning processes
•    Criterion 3: Industry and community support
•    Criterion 4: Sustainability and evaluation of the program

2010 Finalists

A complete list of past winners and finalists can be found on the Past Awards page.