The Group Training Service Excellence Award is presented to a staff member or team/group of staff for a demonstrated outstanding contribution to the success in Group Training.
Group Training Organisations, client organisations, colleagues, professional bodies, and students can make nominations.
2024 – Ballarat Specialist School School-Based Traineeship Program – Westvic Staffing Solutions
“The School-Based Apprenticeship Certificate II in Horticulture Program has been offered to the school by
Westvic Staffing Solutions in collaboration with South West Tafe since 2019 and it is a wonderful program that allows students to build real life work skills in this industry.” Read More.
2024 – Roxie Di Pastena – NECA Education & Careers
“Roxie is the pivotal force within the GTO at NECA Education & Careers. She has a tsunami of information that hits her desk every day, every hour of the week. Hosts, apprentices, parents, teachers, RTO staff, finance and payroll, return to work requests, the events committee and awards organisation, protect applications are but of a few of her responsibilities.” Read More.
2023 – WaTT—Women and Their Trade – NECA Education & Careers
The WaTT (Women and Their Trade) program is a groundbreaking initiative addressing gender disparity in electrical apprenticeships. It offers tailored support to women aiming to enter this male-dominated field. The program identifies and overcomes barriers through engagement, attraction, mentorship and host placement stages. Read More.
2022 – Elly Findlay – Gforce Employment + Recruitment
Elly Findlay has been employed with Gforce Employment + Recruitment for 21 years. Elly started as a trainee and is currently Team Leader within Apprenticeship Services. Elly is known as the go-to person for connecting apprentices with host employers, advice on VET and employment pathways, and supporting apprentices from beginning to completion. Elly is particularly dedicated to placing women in non-traditional trades and creatively supporting disadvantaged young people to achieve the benefits of employment through apprenticeships and traineeships.
2022 – Westvic Staffing Solutions – East Gippsland Bushfire Recovery School Based Project
Westvic Staffing Solutions, in partnership with ENVITE Environment and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), is supporting 12 students, who come from bushfire affected areas in East Gippsland, complete a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management – a school-based program about environment and conservation works and road network maintenance associated with Forest Management.
2019 – AGA Apprenticeships Plus – Metro Tunnel Project Pathway Program
The Major Projects team at AGA are currently the employment provider for a Pathway Program on the Metro Tunnel project with Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP). The program focuses on disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16 and 25 with extreme barriers to employment and provides a platform for them to undertake a Certificate III or IV in Business which are placed alongside a mentor within various teams on the project.
The program gives them a pathway into a project which they otherwise probably would not have had. There have been 33 employment opportunities through the program so far, and seven participants have completed their qualification. Read More.
2019 – Programmed Skilled Workforce Ltd – Indigenous Advancement Strategy
As Training Services Manager – Connie is responsible for the Operational Service Delivery and Management of both Programmed’s GTO and RTO.
Programmed is a recognised service provider for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy – Jobs, Land and Economy Program, and a signatory to Generation One. They provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the training and employment opportunities necessary to gain relevant skills and experience, equipping them for a lifetime of employment.
In recognising the importance of providing Indigenous people with employment pathways – Connie works closely alongside a dedicated manager, who works with their clients to increase Indigenous participation across the workforce. This encompasses support in developing Indigenous Participation Plans and completing Cultural Heritage Management Plans. Read More.
2019 – Westvic Staffing Solutions – Shaping Futures Pilot Program
The Shaping Futures Pilot Program adopted a targeted approach for creating employment outcomes for secondary students with a disability, giving them an increased chance of entering mainstream employment post-secondary school. The program has created and supported in excess of 40 school-based employment outcomes for secondary students with a disability across all Westvic locations. The program has worked closely with local secondary schools and TAFE Institutes to design and develop training packages that will integrate into their secondary study timetable.
The program has enabled a mix of school-based employment opportunities, with support tailored to the individual needs of the students. This support provided has included pre-employment preparation, enhanced tailored mentoring to suit the individual, and support and mentoring for the engaged host employers, some of which will not have had experience employing individuals with a disability. Read More.
2018 – Skillinvest – Indigenous School-based Trainee Employment Program
Skillinvest has partnered with the Victorian State Government (Jobs Victoria) and Victoria Police and are committed to creating better understanding and communication between the Indigenous Community and Victoria Police by providing opportunities for secondary school students. The Trainee program is a state-wide initiative in Victoria and opens opportunities for students to study a Certificate III in Business. Skillinvest trainees work with the Aboriginal community Liaison Officers employed by Victoria Police and well as Skillinvests own community liaison officers. Due to students being spread across Victoria, Skillinvest have invested in training resources online for the students who mostly opt for a virtual classroom. All Skillinvest employees working with participants in these programs have undertaken Indigenous Culture training through Central Australian Remote Health Development Services Ltd and training is updated annually. Read more.
2018 – Victorian Group Training – Speak Up
As a GTO conducting regular site visits with their employees and host employers, VGT identified a trend with young workers often not being comfortable to communicate various issues with their Host Employers, despite constant encouragement to do so. The “Speak Up” app was designed in collaboration with various professionals and a group of young employees. Approximately 100 man-hours collectively have been invested in this platform for young and vulnerable workers to ‘Speak Up’ in the workplace. The aim of Speak Up is to encourage workers to communicate with their employer in a safe environment about workplace health and safety, mental health and general well-being either identified or anonymously. Read more.
2018 – AGA Apprenticeships Plus – AGA SEAT Program
AGA have utilised the South East Automotive Transition (SEAT) program and the back to work funding to develop and apprenticeship model to eliminate the barriers to employing retrenched automotive workers into apprenticeships and traineeships across the South East region of Melbourne. AGA has worked with many employers such as North East Program Alliance (NEPA), BMW South Yarra, Subaru Australia, Local Government and a range of domestic based host employers to place mature aged apprentices and trainees. AGA has developed specific, specialised means and tools to assist the retrenched workers through the transition phase of their employment as well as implementing training to assist the staff involved, including Cultural Awareness Training and Mentoring Training. Read more.
2018 – Westvic Staffing Solutions – Glenormiston Agriculture Employment Program
Westvic secured State Government funding to provide support the to dairy industry in South West Victoria while it faced economic challenges by employing a minimum of ten dairy trainees and manage their training at Glenormiston Agriculture College. As a result of fires within the South West area Victoria, several of Westvic’s host employers farms have been effected. Westvic provided support and mentoring to their effected trainees. This program has allowed for training to recommence at South West Tafe’s Glenormiston campus which was dormient for some time due to lack of student numbers. The return of training to Glenormiston College has been a positive step for the region and the Agriculture community and students now have access to a first-class facility where they can apply their skills and further their training. Read more.
2017 – ATEP – ‘On the Road to Work’ Multi Industry, School-based & Pre-apprenticeship Program
This program focuses on Certificate II qualifications that had a clear pathway to apprenticeship or traineeship in areas such as building & construction, land & food, horticulture and business services.The ATEP team have developed innovative ideas to engage participants with long term unemployment, develop the skills and work experience in securing apprenticeships. Read more.
2017 – Skillinvest – Lift Off Program
This program is a re-engagement program for students in year 7, 8 & 9, designed to transition students back into education through a flexible safe and non-threatening environment. Lift Off is supported by a partner group founded by Cranbourne East Secondary School. Lift Off is designed for students that have disengaged from school due to high levels of anxiety/depression, family & other mental health related issues. Read more.
2016 – Skillinvest – New Agricultural Traineeships for School Leavers in Drought Affected North West Victoria Program
Skillinvest together with Longerong College developed and implemented a program to create 20 agricultural traineeships for school leavers affected by the drought in North West Victoria. The program received $574,000 Government funding. Read more.
2015 – Ballarat Group Training (BGT) – Smart Support Program
More than 50% of participants* who start a new apprenticeship or traineeship fail to complete.This statistic has a dramatic social and economic impact through reduced productivity, increased costs to business, government welfare as well as a significant personal impact on those directly affected. BGT has researched the key drivers behind this trend and have developed a program with the aim of addressing this issue in the Ballarat Region. Read more.
2015 – CVGT & Barry Rickard – Industry Skills Centre Program
The Industry Skills Centre pre and post-release program commenced in 2008 as a pilot with Corrections Victoria. Barry Rickard has worked on the program since its inception and has been able to expand its coverage to 11 Victorian prison locations. CVGT Australia has been an integral partner in this program over the past 6 years and has provided on the ground field officer support at many prison locations across the State. Read more.
2014 – APlus – Women in Trades Program
APLUS aims to engage with young women with hands on skills while creating and strengthening links within various industries to breakdown the gender stereotypes and overcome any barriers. Read more.
2014 – Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) – Community Safety and Information Service Program
Over the past 4 years this program has employed over 88 trainees on behalf of the department of housing. These trainees are selected from various public housing sites. Read more.
2012 – WorkCo Ltd. – Lifelong Learning Model
WORKCO, together with Longerenong College have put in place the building blocks for a pathway from secondary school to apprenticeships and traineeships in the Grampians region. Readmore.
2012 – MEGT – Greenhouse Project
MEGT partnered with Stocklands and Porter Davis Homes to pilot a community-driven housing model that would generate employment opportunities for apprentices and trainees. Read more.