What are the Queensland Training Awards?
The Queensland Training Awards recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations within the vocational education and training (VET) sector who strive for excellence, best practice and innovation.
Established in 1962, the awards are Queensland's most prestigious and longest running awards program for the training sector. They continue to celebrate the significant contribution made by Queensland's VET sector to the wider Queensland community and economy.
A range of award categories are available, with awards for apprentices, trainees, vocational students, teachers and trainers, as well as training providers and employers.
Why should I nominate myself or someone else for an award?
The Queensland Training Awards are the longest running training sector awards program in Queensland. The awards provide individuals and organisations with a unique opportunity to showcase their achievements, best practice and innovation in training.
The awards open doors for individual category winners, and provide employers, training and community-based organisations with recognition for their organisations and staff, as well as the chance to promote themselves in their local community as an organisation of choice.
How do I know if I'm eligible for an award?
Eligibility criteria for each category is available on each award category page. You can also contact your regional coordinator if you have any questions.
What can I win?
Winners at both regional and state levels are eligible for prizes, including certificates and trophies. However, the real prize is the recognition of your hard work, when you are named the best in your region or Queensland for your award category.
Is there a cost involved in applying?
No. There is no nomination fee to apply for any award. The only costs involved are related to time and effort required to complete the nomination process.
When do nominations close?
Nominations for the 2024 Queensland Training Awards are now open and close midnight (Queensland time) on 12 March 2024.
Who can nominate for the awards?
Nominations in all categories are welcome from vocational education and training (VET) providers, employers and industry, other organisations and groups in the VET system, as well as individuals and the wider community.
All nominators should make sure that the person or organisation nominated meets the eligibility criteria for the award.
Some examples of who can nominate are:
Individual awards
- A VET student, apprentice or trainee nominates themselves for an award.
- An employer nominates one or more of their apprentices, trainees, or other employees in accredited training.
- An organisation nominates one or more of their outstanding students (an organisation or individual can nominate more than one candidate).
- A school or training organisation nominates a school-based apprentice or trainee.
- A training organisation, student or group of students nominates one of their teachers/trainers for the VET Teacher or Trainer of the Year award.
Organisational awards
- An employer of a business or training organisation nominates their own organisation for a relevant award.
- A training organisation nominates a business or company for the Small, Medium or Large Employer of the Year award.
- An industry association nominates an employer or a training organisation for the relevant award.
- A training organisation that is working with local schools and an industry organisation to deliver nationally accredited training nominates for the Premier's Industry Collaboration Award.
Can a person or organisation nominate more than one individual for a particular award?
Yes, an organisation (e.g. training organisation or business) or individual can nominate more than one candidate for a particular award, provided all candidates meet the eligibility criteria. Nominating more than one candidate from the same organisation for the same award means they will be competing against each other.
Can a person or organisation nominate themselves for an award?
Yes, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the award.
Can part of an organisation nominate for an award?
In the case of businesses, training and community-based organisations with activities in more than one state, only the training activities in Queensland will be considered for the award.
Where organisations have more than one workplace in Queensland, they must decide to nominate as a statewide organisation or as individual organisations. If the decision is to nominate as individual organisations, the organisation must lodge separate nominations for each location.
For an organisation that does not have vocational education and training as their core business, they are eligible to nominate the Queensland arm of their business or organisation for an employer award category.
In the case of the training provider award categories, the organisation's nomination should be for the entire Queensland operation, as a branch or a campus of a registered training organisation is not eligible to nominate individually. This is also the case for the Community Training Initiative of the Year category.
My organisation is a registered training organisation, which award do we nominate for — training provider or employer?
Being a registered training organisation does not necessarily mean the training provider categories are the right ones. The answer depends on your organisation's primary role:
- if the organisation's primary role is training – Large or Small Training Provider of the Year categories
- if the organisation's primary role is something other than training (e.g. selling products or services) – Small, Medium or Large Employer of the Year categories.
I have already completed my qualification. Am I still eligible to nominate for an award?
In general, individuals who have completed, or are due to complete, their apprenticeship, traineeship or qualification in the current financial year at the time of nomination are eligible. For example, to be eligible for the 2024 awards, open to 12 March 2024, you would have had to complete (or planned to complete) your qualification between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024.
By exception, Equity Student of the Year nominees have a 2-year completion window. Eligible students will have either completed (or planned to complete) in the current or prior calendar year. For example, to be eligible for the 2024 awards, you would have had to complete (or planned to complete) between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024.
I'm of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Which award do I nominate for?
As an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander you can also nominate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award. To do so you must first nominate in one of the eligible individual award categories. When submitting your nomination for the individual category online, you must tick the following boxes indicating that you:
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; and
- wish to also nominate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award.
Once you have ticked the boxes as part of your nomination for this award category, you will be asked to complete one additional criterion about Community Engagement. Once you have completed this extra criterion, your nomination will also be submitted for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award. You only need to address one additional selection criterion.
Can previous winners nominate again?
Yes. Previous winners and finalists may nominate again, provided they meet the eligibility requirements of that award.
Can I submit a hardcopy nomination?
The Queensland Training Awards nominations process is only available online via the online nomination portal. Unfortunately, we cannot accept hardcopy applications or attachments.
Is there a nomination size limit?
Yes. Award category information outlines word limits for each section of the nomination, as well as attachment type and file size limits.
What happens after I have submitted a nomination?
Once your nomination is successfully submitted via the online nomination portal, you would have received an automated email response confirming that your nomination has been received. All nominations will be assessed by a judging panel and shortlisted for interview. Learn more about the judging and interview process.
How are nominations judged?
After the closing date, nominations are collated and forwarded to relevant judging panels. Learn more about the judging and interview process.
When do I find out if I am shortlisted or I have won?
All nominations are assessed by a judging panel and shortlisted nominees will be interviewed by phone or online in May. Learn more about the judging and interview process.
Winners will be announced at the regional and state final ceremonies.
Can I request feedback on my nomination?
Yes. Please email qldtrainingawards@desbt.qld.gov.au with your name, current contact details (preferably a mobile phone number), award category name and region (if applicable).
Feedback is provided by the chair of the judging panel that considered your nomination. While we try to respond to feedback requests as soon as possible, a swift response cannot be guaranteed.
Feedback on your nomination must be requested prior to 30 September of the nomination year.
If I win at a regional level, what's next?
Winners of the regional awards automatically go through to compete for state titles at the State Gala Dinner, which will be held in Brisbane in September.
If I'm a winner or finalist, will I get my picture in the paper?
Winners and finalists are ambassadors for the Queensland vocational education and training system. They can receive media attention as a result of the post-award promotional campaign.
The Queensland Government may use photographs and non-confidential information from the nominations in its communications.
For more information, read the conditions of entry.
If I win at the state finals, will I go to the Australian Training Awards?
The Australian Training Awards is held in an Australian capital city in November each year.
The Australian Training Awards are the peak, national awards for vocational education and training (VET), recognising innovation and excellence in the training sector. There are some direct entry categories and some that progress via state and territory award programs.
Queensland winners of aligned categories will progress to contest the Australian Training Awards. All individual national finalists participate in national judging and will attend the ceremony. With organisation categories, finalists are first shortlisted to a top 3 and only these selected finalists will attend the national ceremony. Pre-selection of the Queensland employer category finalists will also take place ahead of nationals, with only 2, not 3, employer categories offered at the national level. Learn more about the judging process.
In addition, there are direct-entry award categories at the Australian Training Awards. Visit the Australian Training Awards website for further information.
Last updated 15 December 2023
