VQ Nominations are now closed for 2024.

Introduction

The Vocational Qualification (VQ) Awards offer individuals and employers the chance to gain recognition, connecting their success with vocational education. Now in their twelfth consecutive year, the Awards will celebrate those who have benefitted from the vocational route, exceeded expectations, been innovative in their approach, and utilised the vocational education, training and skills provision in Wales.

Award Categories and Criteria

There are four categories in total. They are: Intermediate Learner of the Year, Higher Learner of the Year, Trainer of the Year and Employer of the Year. Here is a brief introduction to the categories below:

• The VQ Intermediate Learner of the Year Award rewards vocational learners who have excelled and achieved qualifications up to level three in a vocational field, and have achieved more as a result of engaging in this training.
• The VQ Higher Learner of the Year Award rewards vocational learners with qualifications level four and above, and recognises those learners who have demonstrated excellence in their vocational studies and have achieved more as a result of engaging in this training.
• The VQ Trainer of the Year Award recognises and rewards individual vocational trainers who have made a telling contribution to supporting learners to achieve excellence, who go over and above what is required of their role.
• The VQ Employer of the Year Award focuses on rewarding employers who use vocational qualifications to add value to their workforce. Providing evidence that this investment in vocational upskilling can really make a real difference to their bottom line and organisational success.

How to Enter

The Awards are free to enter and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 8 March 2019.

• Follow the links above to complete the nomination form.
  Please note: All Awards entries must be uploaded to the online entry platform – we cannot accept any entries by email or by post.
• You must answer all three questions and provide a supporting statement in section three, summarising your nomination in section 3, all answers to be no more than 300 words.
• Nominations should be clear about what characterises the exceptional achievement with particular emphasis on impact. Judges welcome, in particular, robust independent testimonials in support of the nomination.

VQ Nominations leaflet

Key Dates

• Launch and Entries Open – Wednesday 16 January 2019
• Entries Deadline – Friday 8 March 2019
• Shortlist Announced – Thursday 4 April 2019
• Awards Ceremony – Wednesday 15 May 2019

There are only a few rules that apply to the VQ Day Awards 2019, these are:

• All nomination forms must be received by 12.00 noon on Friday 8 March 2019
• The nomination forms will automatically be taken offline at the above mentioned time and any hyperlinks to the nomination forms will also become inactive.
• Finalists will need to ensure they are available for publicity purposes (photographs, filming and development of case studies) between the dates 25 March – 5 April 2019.
• Finalists will need to ensure they are able to attend the Awards Ceremony taking place on Wednesday 15 May 2019 at the National Museum, Cardiff. In the case of unforeseen circumstances a representative can be sent in the place of the finalist.
• Once you have submitted the nomination form you cannot make alterations and then re-submit. Any subsequent nominations submitted for the same nominee will not be accepted.
• The Judges’ decision is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
  Finalists will be notified by email and telephone, no later than Thursday 28 March 2019.

Attending the Awards

Finalists will receive a total of 4 complimentary places to the awards – 1 for the finalist, plus 3 guests. Extra places can be booked online.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

VQ Partners

The awards are organised by the Welsh Government in partnership with the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), ColegauCymru/CollegesWales, Qualifications Wales and the Education Workforce Council.

The campaign supports the marketing of the Apprenticeship Programme in Wales which is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.