The Australian Training Awards are the peak national awards for the VET sector recognising individuals, businesses and registered training organisations for their contribution to skilling Australia.

On 21 November the awards were presented and the winners are: 

Lifetime Achievement Award — Wayne Collyer

Wayne Collyer was Managing Director at Polytechnic West (now South Metropolitan TAFE) from 2004 until his retirement in February 2013. In the ten years previous, he was Managing Director of Central West College of TAFE (now Central Regional TAFE).

Throughout his career Mr Collyer achieved significant results for VET in Western Australia, through his considerable expertise in developing future VET leaders and providing leadership to state and national policy committees. Nationally, Mr Collyer has contributed to the development and continuous improvement of a world class Australian VET sector through his long commitment and executive membership of TAFE Directors Australia Board.  Over his more than 40 years as an educator, 36 of them dedicated to VET, Mr Collyer has made a difference to the future of hundreds of thousands of students and has been an instrumental builder of the education and training sector to the benefit of thousands more students into the future.

Other winners and finalists were: 

Registered Training Organisation Category 

1. Small Training Provider of the Year Award

Winner

Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta – New South Wales

Finalists

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services – Western Australia

Wisdom Learning – Australian Capital Territory

2. Large Training Provider of the Year Award

Winner

Sunraysia Institute of TAFE – Victoria

Finalists

Charles Darwin University – Northern Territory

Canberra Institute of Technology – Australian Capital Territory

3. International Training Provider of the Year Award

Winner

TAFE Queensland – Queensland

Finalists

Melbourne Polytechnic – Victoria

4. School Pathways to VET Award

Winner

Circular Head Christian School – Tasmania

Finalists

St James College – Queensland

Tasmanian Secondary Colleges RTO – Tasmania

For detailed list of winners and finalists, please visit here.