Businesses can now apply for the SA Training Awards 2021
SA Power Networks won a national award for reskilling workers through vocational education and training last year. Now it wants other SA companies to follow suit.
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Vocational education and training plays a vital role in retraining and upskilling employees to meet the challenges of the emerging digital age.
That is the view of the Large Employer of the Year at the 2020 Australian Training Awards, SA Power Networks.
The power energy infrastructure company is embracing the emerging digital age through automation, digital control technologies and artificial intelligence to deliver improved energy solutions to customers, and helping workers get the skills to do so.
SA Power Networks learning and development manager Angela Coker said vocational education and training (VET) has always been important for the organisation.
“We have a long history of developing apprentices in our powerline and electrical trades,” Ms Coker said.
“We value VET for what it offers employees in other areas of our business.
“Not only are we able to develop skills in more traditional areas such as leadership and management and project management, we have also embarked on a re-skilling strategy to ensure that we are prepared for future challenges.
“These new qualifications focus on things like cyber security, and in an Australian first we are partnering with Skills Lab to offer a digital engineering apprenticeship, where apprentices undertake a Diploma of Applied Technologies.
“We can proudly say that the organisation is demonstrating best practice when it comes to integrating vocational education and training into its business strategy.”
In the past 20 years, SA Power Networks has trained 575 electrical apprentices, with a 93 per cent retention rate, and is currently training more than 100 apprentices.
Ms Coker said from a morale perspective, winning Large Employer of the Year at the Australian Training Awards provided employees with a reason to celebrate.
“At SA Power Networks we do that by recognising individuals who contribute to the application process such as our supervisors, trainers, apprentices and trainees who were so generous with their stories and time.”
As for the application process, Ms Coker said applying through the South Australian Training Awards program not only provided the business with an opportunity to measure the outcomes of its training, it also enabled it to measure improvements over time.
“The South Australian Training Awards application process allowed us to reflect on the outcomes of our training strategy and the national win certainly validated that we are doing something right.
“There is plenty of support available – awards officers are available to review your application and provide assistance to applicants if they need support with their application.
“Tips on preparing the training awards application are also available.”
The South Australian Training Awards program, which is celebrating its 25th year in 2021, is presented by the state’s Training and Skills Commission and supported by collaboration partners MEGT and Mas.
Applications for the program, which celebrates and acknowledges the achievements of the state’s best and brightest students, trainers, training providers, schools and employers, are open until May 17.
South Australian Skills Commissioner and Training and Skills Commission chair Renee Hindmarsh said the 2021 program included a range of activities and initiatives designed to highlight the increasing opportunities available to trainees and apprentices in South Australia.
“There really hasn’t been a better time than now to invest in your business and grow the capability of your staff through vocational education and training,” Ms Hindmarsh said.
“As we enter the silver jubilee of the South Australian Training Awards, we not only celebrate 25 years of the program, but also the positive impact of training on staff and business growth.”
Twelve award categories will be presented this year – six for individuals and six for organisations – as well as the Voters’ Choice Award, which presented to the public’s favourite individual finalist.
Organisations can apply for Industry Collaboration; Small, Medium or Large Employer of the Year; Training Provider of the Year or VET Innovation for Schools.
Winners will be named at the South Australian Training Awards recognition event, to be held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday, August 27.
To apply visit satrainingawards.sa.gov.au
Originally published as Businesses can now apply for the SA Training Awards 2021
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