Categories and Criteria
Please note that these criteria have been revised to align with the Victorian Training Awards and National CS&H Industry Skills Council criteria
Employer Achievement in Creating a Learning Culture
What is a Learning Culture?
A healthy learning culture is one in which the small business/agency or medium to large enterprise embraces the need for workforce learning as the vehicle for quality client service delivery, vocational outcomes for employees, and ensuring business success. The agency or enterprise sees the value of making an investment in learning/training that leads to the attainment of industry standard competencies contributing to the attainment of a formal community services or health qualification. In particular, the staff at all levels of the organisation see learning as a benefit rather than a cost and as a critical component in positioning themselves and the business by improving KPIs to provide the best possible services into the future and considerable savings.
In some agencies/enterprises with either the infrastructure capability or management commitment, this may be epitomized as a ‘develop from within’ approach to recruitment, employee development and training. The agency or enterprise will know the value of partnerships with registered training organisations and are likely to be using workplace mentors, trainers and/or supervisors who are accredited workplace assessors.
Small businesses with a learning culture will ensure that all personnel receive training which may be generic or specialist to enhance their skill levels and that keeps them up to date with industry and technological changes. The small business will report on increased productivity, low staff turnover and employees with ownership, enthusiasm and pride in their work.
If you are the successful finalist and wish to be considered for nomination to the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council awards, the following criteria must be answered. There are two categories of community services and health employer achievement in creating a learning culture: Victorian CS&H employer presented to a medium to large enterprise and Small Business Employer. In both of these categories, sub-categories recognise either an Enterprise’s outstanding overall achievement in skills evolution, i.e. in creating growth and working towards business sustainability through workforce strategies, action plans and activities implementation; or through an
eligibility
Victorian CS&H Employer Category
A community services and health industry organisation with at least 20 full-time employees is eligible to nominate for this category.
Small Business Category
The small business/agency must be operating in the community services and health industry and employing fewer than 20 employees. This can include full-time, part-time and casual employees.
Branch offices of large enterprises are not eligible to nominate for this award although franchises that organise their training activities independent of the franchise group are eligible to nominate.
NOMINATIONS
Nominations will be accepted from the CEO/Director or proprietor of the organisation, or from Registered Training Organisations with agreement of the agency or enterprise.
Both categories will recognise the establishment of a learning culture by the organisation. The learning culture will contribute to the
The application should clearly state which category it applies to and whether it relates to skills evolution or skill development. The content of the application should be aligned to the category and the sub-category.
Applications are to be in 12 pt font and a maximum of 10 A4 pages, including the attachments.
Any material in excess of 10 pages will not be forwarded to the judging panel.
The award criteria should be the focus of your applications however any relevant evidence may be provided so long as it does not exceed the required page limit.
Preparing your application
Section A: Overview
Provide an overview of the agency or enterprise and how training[*] is incorporated into the organisation’s operations. Include details of the organisation’s training objectives, a description of the operating environment or context in which the training is delivered and any specific challenges which were encountered in the implementation of the training.
Clearly state which sub-category you application recognises; your
Section B: Applicants will be judged against the following criteria:
Criterion 1: Extent and quality of education and training for employees (including commitment to equity in training)
Criterion 2: Achievement of the business or of its employees that is attributed to training
Criterion 3 Integration of training into business planning
Criterion 4: Innovation and excellence of design and delivery of training
Criterion 5: Commitment to equity in training[1]
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 criteria.
Extent and quality of education and training for employees
Consider:
o your involvement in designing or developing training specifically for your business, either alone, or in partnership with a training provider
o how much you spend on training for your employees
o the amount of time (on average per month) that your employees spend in training activities
o the amount of on-the-job training and how you integrate on-the-job and off-the-job training.
Achievements of your business, or employees, which may be attributed to training
Consider:
o how you measure the benefits of training and how training will improve your business in the future
o how you inform employees and people outside your business about how training improves your business
o any “success stories” about your training and how the business and staff have benefited.
Integration of training into your business
Consider:
o the training aims of your business
o how training fits into your business planning and any evidence that your business has an on-going commitment to training or a “training culture”
o how you find out about the training needs of your employees.
Innovation and excellence
Consider:
o details of creativity, excellence and/or innovation in the design, development and delivery of your training
o any methods you use to create positive relationships or partnerships with others to enhance the effectiveness of your training
o any measures you use to encourage access to training for your employees
o implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT), in your business e.g. e-learning.
Commitment to equity[2]
Consider:
o any training provided to employees who are from groups often under-represented in employment, education and training, such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, people in older age groups, people living in remote areas
o the number of these employees who have undertaken training programs
o the number of these employees trained for managerial or supervisory roles
o any of your training that is specifically designed for these employees.
Types of evidence you may like to present At interview
o What it is about your business operations and customer/client service that makes you stand out amongst your competitors
o Why your organisation enjoys the reputation for being the best in your local area/sector
o Information about your business objectives and how learning supports your success
o How your clients express their appreciation of the service you provide
o Your measures for assessing your return on investment in training
o What makes your employees excellent at their jobs and how long they have been working for you, their low levels of absenteeism and injury, and the way they are able to take responsibility and demonstrate initiative
o Your assessment of the levels of skills of all the staff including their strengths, what you do when there are learning gaps, and whether you have developed a training plan based on the strategic directions of the business
o Whether you have established a positive relationship with a local registered training organisation
o An outline of the professional development learning opportunities you provide staff for their learning/training
o What type of critical decisions have influenced your success
o What learning opportunities have been provided
o What type of training has been obtained
o Which provider conducted the training and where and how it was conducted
o Whether people received an upfront assessment recognising the skills & knowledge acquired on the job.
[1] This criterion applies to Victorian CS&H employers with over 20 full-time employees.
[2] Commitment to equity applies to Victorian CS&H employer category nominees in the Victorian Training Awards; it is not referred to in the Small Business category. NB The CS&H ITB believes it is applicable to both categories and that small businesses should refer to this principle in their application under one or all the criteria as they see fit.
[*] 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.
Applicable to both categories:
Please prepare a short presentation to inform the judging panel about your learning culture and what impact it has had on your business.