2015 VICTORIAN LEARN LOCAL AWARDS
OUTSTANDING PRE-ACCREDITED LEARNER
INFORMATION PACK
IMPORTANT INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 1
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY ................................................................................................... 4
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A NOMINATION ............................................................... 5
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.................................................................................. 6
AWARD CATEGORY INFORMATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA ................................. 7
NOMINEE DECLARATION.................................................................................................. 9
SAMPLE NOMINATION FORM ......................................................................................... 10
NOTE:
Nominations close Friday 12 June 2015.
The Outstanding Pre-accredited Learner pdf nomination form must to be completed and submitted by email
to learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au
If you have any trouble completing the form please email learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au and a staff member
will contact you.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Why enter the Victorian Learn Local Awards
The Victorian Learn Local Awards are a great way to gain recognition for the hard work and
achievements within the Learn Local education and training sector.
There is $50,000 available across five award categories. There are also two Acknowledgment
categories. Each category identifies the achievements of either individuals or programs across
Victoria’s Learn Local network.
For learners it is a great way to receive recognition for all the hard work and commitment you have
shown to furthering your education and employment pathways and connections with your community.
For Learn Local programs and practitioners, the Awards are an excellent promotional tool and
validation of how your dedication and innovative training have benefited your organisation, learners
and the community.
For Learn Local organisations, the Awards provide a benchmark of excellence that places your
organisation at the forefront in an increasingly competitive market.
All finalists in the Awards will be widely promoted via a variety of communication channels as
examples of what the Learn Local network can achieve.
Who can enter?
Nominations for the Learn Local Awards are welcomed from anyone who knows an individual or
organisation that has contributed to Learn Local education and training. You can also nominate
yourself or your own organisation.
All nominees must meet eligibility requirements and agree to the Conditions of Entry. To find out who
is eligible, please check the eligibility information for the relevant category.
How to enter
Nominations for the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards open on Friday 20 March 2015.
All nominations for the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards must use the appropriate pdf nomination
form and be submitted electronically to learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au
A set of instructions has been prepared to assist with the nomination process. This can be found on
the Learn Local Awards website at www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
Nominations should be submitted no later than 5pm Friday 12 June 2015.
All nominees and nominators will need to read and agree to the Conditions of Entry prior to submitting
their nomination.
When nominating someone else
 Nominations in all categories are welcome from Learn Local organisations, businesses, other
organisations and groups connected with one of the Learn Local network of organisations as well
as individuals and the wider community.
 Nominees need to agree to participate as there are commitments required from them, which are
outlined in the Conditions of Entry.
 Nominees need to complete a Nominee Declaration Form, which must be submitted as part of the
nomination.
Important information
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 Organisations and individuals can nominate more than one candidate for a particular Award.
Nominating more than one candidate from the same organisation for the same Award means they
will be competing against each other.
 Individuals and organisations may nominate themselves.
 Previous winners and finalists may nominate or be nominated again, providing they still meet the
relevant eligibility requirements (see individual Award category for details).
Assistance to write applications
Staff in the Department’s Participation Branch Regional Offices can assist nominators with writing an
application. Please refer to the Department’s website for Regional office contact details:
www.education.vic.gov.au/about/contact/Pages/acfe.aspx
Details of previous finalists can be found in the 2011–2014 Award Booklets on the Learn Local
Awards webpage at: www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
What happens to applications?
When your application has been received and processed you will receive an email acknowledging
receipt.
Further correspondence will be sent at the completion of the judging process indicating whether your
nomination has been successful.
All nominations are judged according to how well they meet the 2015 criteria. The judging panels
include members of the ACFE Board, people with expertise in the award category and people with
experience and knowledge of the Learn Local sector.
In 2015 there will be two judging panels that will each review the nominations for three Award
categories. (Note: The selection of the Learn Local Legend is done by the relevant Regional Council.)
What happens if you are a finalist?
 Finalists will be contacted by the Department of Education and Training (DET) in July 2015
informing them that they are finalists.
 Finalists may be contacted by the DET media unit to provide further information, which may be
included in Victorian Government media releases and publicity.
 Finalists may be asked to agree to being interviewed by the media.
 Finalists are required to attend the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards Presentation Dinner on the
evening of Thursday 10 September 2015 in Melbourne for the announcement of the winner.
 All finalists (including the Learn Local organisations nominated for the Learn Local for Business
and Learn Local Legend Acknowledgement categories) receive a framed certificate signed by the
Minister for Training and Skills.
 All finalists in the five Award categories that have prize money associated with them will receive a
monetary prize. Details on how to claim prizes will be provided to the finalists at the Presentation
Dinner.
What happens if you are a winner?
 Winners will be announced on stage at the Victorian Learn Local Awards Presentation Dinner on
10 September 2015 in Melbourne.
 All winners will receive a framed certificate signed by the Minister for Training and Skills to
recognise their outstanding achievement.
 All winners of the five Award categories that have prize money associated with them will receive a
monetary prize. Details on how to claim prizes will be provided to the winners at the Presentation
Dinner.
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 Winners of the two Acknowledgement categories (ie. Learn Local for Business and Learn Local
Legend) will receive a voucher. Details on how to claim prizes will be provided to the winners at
the Presentation Dinner.
 Winners may be requested by DET to participate in media events in the future as ambassadors of
the Learn Local sector.
Key dates:
 Nominations open: Friday 20 March 2015
 Nominations close: Friday 12 June 2015
 Finalists notified: July 2015
 Awards Presentation Dinner and announcement of winners: Evening of 10 September 2015
Find out more about the Victorian Learn Local Awards
More information regarding the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards is available on the website at
www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
The information pack for each Award category includes a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section that
will assist with the most common questions you may have about completing a nomination for the
Awards.
For further information send an email to learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au and a representative from the
DET will respond to your request.
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CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
By entering the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards, you agree to abide by the following conditions of
entry:
1.
All nominations must be submitted electronically, using the appropriate Award Nomination Form, to
learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au
2.
The closing time and date for all entries is 5pm Friday 12 June 2015. Nominees will not be able to
submit an application after this time.
3.
Nominees for individual awards must be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia, and
reside in Victoria.
4.
For a nomination to be considered valid:
a. the nominee must meet eligibility requirements
b. all required entrant details must be completed
c.
all mandatory questions have been addressed
d. the nominee has signed the Nominee Declaration Form
5.
Finalists may be requested to attend an interview with the judging panel for their category.
6.
The decisions of the judging panels are final.
7.
All finalists are required to attend the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards Presentation Dinner on the
evening of Thursday 10 September in Melbourne.
8.
By applying, all applicants to the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards agree that all non-confidential
details from their nominations, photographs and recordings may be used by the Victorian Government
online, in any broadcast and print media and in a range of publicity and promotional materials.
9.
The Victorian Government reserves the right to use all or part of any material generated (photographs,
film footage, application submissions or any detail) for the purpose of the 2015 and 2016 Victorian
Learn Local Awards or for publication online, in print or other broadcast media; for publicity, on
promotional materials or in campaigns related to skills and training.
10. Finalists and winners of the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards may be required to participate in
media interviews.
11. The ACFE Board reserves the right to extend the deadline for nominations in categories where there
is an insufficient number of nominations received in the first instance.
12. It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure that they have used the correct Award Nomination
Form, and submitted the nomination for that category by the deadline of 5pm Friday 12 June 2015 to
ensure consideration.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A NOMINATION
1. Determine which Award you will nominate for. You can put in a nomination for more than
one Award or for more than one individual/program.
2. Go to the Victorian Learn Local Award webpage, located on the Department of Education
and Training website, to obtain further information and nomination forms:
www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
3. The documents you will need to download are:
a.
Nomination Form (pdf document) for the appropriate Award Category
b.
Information Pack
The information pack will contain the following documents.

Important Information

Conditions of Entry

Instructions for Making a Nomination

Frequently Asked Questions

Award Category Information and Selection Criteria

Nominee Declaration Form

Sample Nomination Form
4. Complete the pdf nomination form and collect any supporting evidence that will be
submitted with the nomination form.
The nomination form can be saved as you enter information into it.
The form contains additional details and tips on the type of information you can include in
your nomination.
5. Have the nominee sign the Nominee Declaration Form and scan the completed form to
attach to your nomination.
If you are nominating a program, please ensure the Chair or CEO of the organisation (as
appropriate) signs the Nominee Declaration.
6. Submit your application by email to learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au
Your email needs to have attached the completed nomination form, at least one photo of the
nominee, supporting evidence and the signed declaration form/s.
More than one email can be submitted for a nomination if the total size of the attachments is
greater than 8MB. Please make a note in the body of the first email the total number of
emails that you will be sending if it is more than one.
7. You will receive confirmation that your application has been received.
If you do not receive a confirmation email within 3 business days of your submission, please
ring (03) 9651 3019.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I nominate for an Award?
All nominations for the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards must use the appropriate pdf
nomination form and be submitted electronically to learnlocal@edumail.vic.gov.au
A set of instructions has been prepared to assist with the nomination process. These can be found on
the Learn Local Awards website at www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
When do nominations close?
Nominations need to be received by the ACFE Board by Friday 12 June 2015.
Who can nominate candidates for the awards?
Nominations for the Learn Local Awards are welcomed from anyone who knows an individual
or organisation that has contributed to Learn Local education and training. You can nominate
yourself or your own organisation.
All nominees must meet eligibility requirements and agree to the Conditions of Entry. To find out who
is eligible, please check the eligibility information for the relevant category.
Can I nominate more than one person for a particular award?
Yes, an organisation 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?
Yes, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
I participated in a pre-accredited course in 2014 but I am not currently enrolled at a Learn
Local organisation. Am I still eligible to apply for awards?
Yes, all students who participated in a pre-accredited program in 2014 at a Learn Local organisation
can apply for the Outstanding Pre-accredited Learner Award.
Can previous winners nominate again?
Yes, previous Award winners and finalists may nominate or be nominated again, if they still meet the
eligibility requirements.
Where can I find help with writing my application?
Staff in the Department’s Participation Branch Regional Offices can assist nominators with
writing an application. Please refer to the Department’s website for Regional office contact
details: www.education.vic.gov.au/about/contact/Pages/acfe.aspx
Details of previous finalists can be found in the 2011–2014 Award Booklets on the Learn Local
Awards webpage at: www.education.vic.gov.au/learnlocalawards
When will the finalists be announced?
Finalists will be notified in July 2015.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners of the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards will be announced on the evening of 10
September 2015 at the Award Presentation Dinner to be held in Melbourne.
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AWARD CATEGORY INFORMATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA
OVERVIEW OF THE AWARD
This award recognises the achievements of people learning in Learn Local organisations
through participation in pre-accredited programs.
The learner will have established pathways for themselves into further education, employment
or volunteer roles as a result of their participation in the pre-accredited program. The learner
will have demonstrated a high level of engagement with their learning and be actively
developing new skills and enhancing their knowledge.
The learner will demonstrate a commitment to continuing their learning journey and be a role
model for other people of what can be achieved by participating in a pre-accredited program.
The winner of this award will receive $5,000. The two finalists for this award will each
receive $1,000.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS AWARD
This Award will go to a learner who has undertaken an ACFE Board funded pre-accredited
program in 2014.
The Learn Local organisation running the pre-accredited program must be currently registered
with the ACFE Board. All nominees and nominators must agree to the Conditions of Entry.
2015 SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants will be judged against the following selection criteria:
Criteria 1: Learning achievements
Criteria 2: Enhancement of personal skills and attributes as a result of the learning
Criteria 3: Other achievements
Addressing the Criteria
The nomination form for the Award contains questions that provide nominators with the
opportunity to provide evidence against all of the 2015 criteria.
The information below is a guide to what judges are looking for when they assess the
nominations.
Overall judges are looking for a learner whose achievements can be directly attributed to their
participation in an ACFE Board funded pre-accredited program. A strong nomination will clearly
show how the achievements mentioned in the nomination link back to their participation in the
pre-accredited program(s) listed in Question 1.
Judges are looking for the establishment or enhancement of a vocational education and training
or employment pathway for the nominated learner. The pathways created could be different to
the pathway outcomes listed for the pre-accredited program. The nominee’s participation may
have opened up different areas of interest or clarified their interest in a particular pathway.
The nominee must have participated in a pre-accredited program in 2014. Depending on when
in 2014 they commenced the program, their achievements may not be ‘hard outcomes’ such as
completion, qualifications or employment.
CRITERIA 1: Learning achievements
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This criteria focuses on skills gained (e.g. employability skills, life skills, language, literacy and
numeracy skills), education or employment outcomes (paid or unpaid), as well as the nominee’s
level of engagement with their learning. Additionally, Learning achievements focuses on the
plans the nominee now has for their future in relation to further training or employment (paid or
unpaid).
Your answers to Questions 2, 3, 4 and 5 will provide judges with evidence against Criteria 1.
CRITERIA 2: Enhancement of personal skills and attributes as a result of the learning
This criteria focuses on the interpersonal skills and attributes that the learner has developed
that can be directly attributed to their participation in the pre-accredited program(s) you list at
Question 1. Interpersonal skills and attributes include communication (written or oral),
leadership, teamwork, goal setting and resilience, problem solving and other social skills.
Your answer to Question 6 will provide judges with evidence against Criteria 2.
CRITERIA 3: Other achievements
This criteria focuses on what else the learner has achieved because of their participation in the
pre-accredited program(s) listed at Question 1. Question 7 relates to their engagement with the
community and how their participation in the pre-accredited program has contributed to this
engagement. Question 8 provides an opportunity to demonstrate evidence of leadership or
mentoring roles that the learner has taken up.
Your answers to Questions 7 and 8 will provide judges with evidence against Criteria 3.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
In addition to the completed form a nomination may include attachments (documents and/or
letters of reference) as evidence of the learner’s achievements. Attachments may include
training certificates, brochures, manuals, learner or practitioner testimonials. There is a limit of
five documents per application.
Additionally images may be included in applications as supporting evidence. At least one
photograph of the learner nominated must be included in a nomination. If the learner is
identified as a finalist, this photo will be used in the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards booklet,
which showcases each finalist.
You may also include a single video to support your application.
LENGTH OF RESPONSES
There is no maximum or minimum word length specified, though one word or one sentence
answers are unlikely to give enough information. Some questions may require more
information than other questions.
When responding to questions, make sure that you have provided evidence that the skills,
achievements or other changes in the learner is related to the learner’s participation in the
pre-accredited program(s) you list at Question 1.
You are free to provide dot point answers and incorporate any sub headings you think are
necessary.
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NOMINEE DECLARATION
In being nominated for the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards, I authorise the Adult,
Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board and the Department of Education and Training
to use all or part of any material (photographs, submissions or any non-confidential detail)
generated for the purpose of these Awards for publicity campaigns related to Learn Local
education and training.
Nominee signature:
Nominee name:
Date:
Contact Details (Phone Number or Email):
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SAMPLE NOMINATION FORM
To submit a nomination for the 2015 Victorian Learn Local Awards the pdf version of the
form must be used.
The following provides the questions contained within the nomination form for the
Outstanding Pre-accredited Learner Award.
NOMINATION QUESTIONS
1. Which pre-accredited program(s) did the nominee participate in during 2014 and at which Learn
Local organisation(s)?
Section 1: Learning achievements and engagement
2. What skills has the learner gained as a result of participating in the pre-accredited program(s)?
3. What education and/or employment pathways are available for or have been achieved by the
learner as a result of their participation in the pre-accredited program(s)?
4. How does the learner demonstrate a high level of engagement with their learning?
5. What plans does the learner have for the next 12 months in relation to further training,
employment, volunteering?
Section 2: Enhancement of personal skills and attributes and other achievements
6. What changes did you or others observe in the learner’s interpersonal skills and attributes that
can be attributed to their participation in the pre-accredited program(s)?
7. What community connections has the learner developed as a result of their participation in the
pre-accredited program(s)?
8. Describe any leadership or mentoring roles that the nominee has taken up since their
participation in the pre-accredited program(s)? (This question is not mandatory)
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