VQ Awards in 10th year – still time to nominate
THERE is still time to enter awards that showcase the best learners, employers and trainers in Wales.
The closing date for entries in this year’s Vocational Qualification (VQ) Awards is April 21.
The awards celebrate those who use technical, practical and vocational qualifications to achieve success.
For the first time there is an award for trainer of the year, which is added to employer of the year, intermediate learner of the year and higher-level learner of the year.
The intermediate award is for learners with qualifications up to level three, while the higher award is for qualifications from level four upwards.
The VQ Learner Awards recognise learners who clearly demonstrate progression and excellence in vocational studies and have made considerable achievements in their field.
The VQ Employer of the Year Award focuses on employers who promote the value of vocational qualifications in the workplace and make a real contribution to improving skills and national competitiveness.
The new VQ Trainer of the Year Award recognises individual trainers who have made a telling contribution to supporting learners in the workplace to achieve excellence while also constantly improving their own skills and knowledge.
The finalists will be announced in May. The awards ceremony will be held at St David’s Hotel, Cardiff, on June 6, the eve of VQ Day on June 7.
A new partner has joined the organising team this year, as Qualifications Wales takes its place alongside the Welsh Government, National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) and CollegesWales/ColegauCymru.
Now in their 10th consecutive year, the awards are a celebration of vocational qualifications for learners, teachers, training providers and employers.
Skills and Science Minister Julie James said: “Professional and personal development programmes are utilised for staff to enable them to follow a pathway of learning to meet company, customer and individual needs.
“The VQ awards help us to celebrate those Welsh employers, learners and trainers who are already going that extra mile when it comes to developing vocational skills and qualifications.
“If the Welsh economy is to continue to grow then we must ensure that employers, individuals, training providers and the Welsh Government work together to invest in the right skills for success in order to equip Wales with a world-class workforce.”