DEFLOG VQ TRUST APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS 2010

Following on from successful Apprenticeship Awards in previous years, DEFLOG VQ Trust is running this award scheme aimed at rewarding success in vocational qualifications for a fourth year.

The scheme is aimed at raising the profile of the Logistics Apprenticeship Programme, its learners and their units, as well as showcasing the personal development opportunities that the Armed Forces provide for their personnel. These Awards provide individual learners and their Unit Commanders with the opportunity to recognise achievement and success in developing existing skills or learning new ones through Apprenticeship or Train to Gain NVQ Programmes delivered by DEFLOG VQ Trust.

Award Categories

The awards are divided into eight categories:

Best Army Apprentice.
Best Army Advanced Apprentice.
Personal Achievement Award (Army)
Best RAF Apprentice.
Best RAF Advanced Apprentice.
Personal Achievement Award (RAF)
Train to Gain Award.(Combined)
Best Unit Award.(Combined)

Special Award

This special award (The Judges' Award) is a special prize which will be given at the judges' discretion to a learner or unit entry that demonstrates innovation and the panel feels is worthy of special merit.

Award Prizes

All individual winners and runners-up will receive an attractive trophy. The seven individual category winners will each receive a prize to the value of £300. The first runner-up in each category will receive a prize to the value of £150. The winners of the Apprenticeship, Advanced Apprenticeship and Train to Gain categories may be nominated for the National Apprenticeship Awards in 2011.

The winner of the Best Unit Award will receive an attractive trophy and £1500 towards a unit training related project. The runner-up will receive a trophy and £750 towards a unit training related project.

The winner of the Judges Award will receive an attractive trophy and:

Individual entry - a prize to the value of £300 or:
Unit entry- £750 towards a unit training related project.

Benefits

The Awards can benefit learners by:

Boosting their self esteem and confidence.
Improving their operational effectiveness.
Providing further motivation to progress and succeed.
Adding to their personal development portfolio.
Helping them gain a track record of success.

For unit and sub-unit Commanders, the Awards can provide benefits by:

Promoting your unit’s personal development programme support to others both within the forces and externally.
Displaying your unit's commitment to providing your personnel with Apprenticeship and NVQ opportunities, which have recruitment and retention benefits.
Promoting the talent, motivation and success of your personnel.
Displaying your unit's innovation, motivation and success.

Additionally, the Awards provide an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the success of Service personnel in Apprenticeships and Train to Gain and provide the Army and RAF through the winners of these awards with nominees for the National Apprenticeship Awards in 2011.

Closing Date for All Entries

The closing date for entries is Monday 9th August 2010, entry forms received after this date will not be considered.

Entry Forms

Entry forms for all awards categories are available from your local DEFLOG Learning Resource Centre (LRC) or can be downloaded below.

Category Definitions and How to Apply

Best Apprentice and Best Advanced Apprentice Awards (Army and RAF)

These two categories reflect a Service persons contribution within their workplace, where this has exceeded expectations and resulted in measurable benefits to their unit. The learners must have shown a real contribution to the organisation they work for, for example, introducing a new idea or initiative, improving procedures and systems within the organisation, or for their involvement in the development of other learners. There will be four separate awards, one each for the Best Army and RAF Apprentices and one each for the Best Army and RAF Advanced Apprentices.

Learners entering for these awards should be working towards or have completed an Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship with DEFLOG VQ Trust. Learners must have started their programme on or after 1 August 2008.

Entries for this category should be submitted by the Learner in association with their line management and their local DEFLOG Learning Resource Centre (LRC) staff using the Best Army Apprentice or the Best RAF Apprentice entry forms as appropriate.

Personal Achievement Award (Army and RAF)

This category is for Service learners who have successfully overcome any barriers, difficulties or obstacles - personally and/or in the workplace to achieve and exceed all expectations.

Service learners entering for this award should be working towards, or have completed an Apprenticeship, Advanced Apprenticeship, NVQ Level 2 or above with DEFLOG VQ Trust. Learners must have started their programme on or after 1 August 2008.

Entries for this category should be submitted by the Learner in association with their line management and their local DEFLOG Learning Resource Centre (LRC) staff using either the Personal Achievement Award (Army) or Personal Achievement Award (RAF) entry form.

Train to Gain Award

This category celebrates a Train to Gain learner’s contribution to their workplace, where this has exceeded expectations and resulted in measurable benefits to their unit. Nominees must have shown a real contribution to the unit they work for, for example, introducing a new idea or initiative, improving procedures and systems within the organisation, or for their involvement in their own or other learners’ development within the unit.

Learners entering for this category should be working towards, or have completed a NVQ Level 2 or above under the Train to Gain programme with DEFLOG VQ Trust. Learners must have started their programme on or after 1 August 2008.

Entries for this category should be submitted by the Learner in association with their line management and their local DEFLOG Learning Resource Centre (LRC) staff using the Train to Gain Award entry form.

Best Unit

This category seeks to acknowledge a unit’s commitment to developing their personnel through Apprenticeships, NVQs and other training and learning. Entries for this category should be submitted by the Unit Commander working in conjunction with their local DEFLOG VQ Trust LRC staff. The award is based on a unit’s support for its personnel who are undergoing Apprenticeships, NVQs and other training, the range of qualifications and programmes that are offered and the number of learners on each programme. Consideration should also be given to the overall performance of unit’s work based learning programmes in relationship to the unit’s operational and non operational commitments. Other learning programmes such as Basic Skills/Learn Direct etc. will be taken into consideration.

This category provides the opportunity for Commanders at all levels to showcase their unit’s involvement and contribution to the delivery of Apprenticeships and NVQs to their personnel, highlighting the benefits to be gained from a commitment to work based learning.

Entries for this category should be submitted jointly by Army/RAF Unit Commanders and their DEFLOG VQ Trust LRC staff using the Best Unit Award entry form.

Judges Award

This award is a special prize selected from entries to all of the categories and may be given at the judges’ discretion to a learner or unit that demonstrates innovation and the panel feels is worthy of special merit.

How to Apply

Completed entry forms must be emailed to Neil Searle at neil.searle@vqtrust.org.uk by 4.30pm Monday 9th August 2010. Hard copy forms cannot be accepted.

Before emailing, all entry forms should be renamed to include the title of the entrant;
e.g. Entry_Bestunit6suprlc.doc or Entry_johnsmith1regtrlc.doc etc.

You are reminded that all entries must be received by 9th August 2010 and that no late entries will be accepted. If you have any questions about the Awards, please speak to Neil Searle on 01482 678304 or to your local LRC staff.

The Award Ceremony

The Award Ceremony will be held in the afternoon to reduce the cost of attending the event for family and friends:

The Award Ceremony will be held on the afternoon of 27th October 2010 at the RLC Central Sgt’s Mess, Deepcut.
It is expected that 100 guests, including short listed learners, their families and friends, unit representatives, Arms & Service Directorate Staff and DEFLOG employees will attend.
The ceremony will provide the right atmosphere to celebrate success and offer opportunities for good practice networking.
The Awards will be presented by a VVIP who will be assisted by the Director Royal Logistic Corp Brigadier MG Hickson OBE.
The dress for serving personnel will be Service Dress (Officers / Warrant Officers) and No. 2 Dress for (OR’s / NCO’s) or other single Service equivalents. For non serving personnel, the dress will be lounge suits for gentlemen and smart attire for ladies.

Selecting Winners

Representatives from the Management and Trustees of DEFLOG VQ Trust, Arms & Service Directorates and Army Apprenticeships will judge the entries and select the winners and runner-up for each award. The Judges will also use their discretion to select the winner of a special award for a learner or unit that demonstrates innovation and the panel feels is worthy of special merit.

The final shortlist will be announced on 16th August 2010 and successful units, learners and their guests will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony.

Publicity

The opportunity to gain Apprenticeships and NVQs in the forces together with the recognition of the hard work involved in achieving them has potential recruitment and retention benefits for the Services and therefore every opportunity should be taken to gain maximum publicity for the awards, their winners and runners-up.

DEFLOG VQ Trust will employ a professional photographer for the Award Ceremony and the rights to all images will be purchased by the Trust. All images will be available to winners, runners-up, their families, units and Arms & Service Directorates.

The names, details and photographs of winners, runners-up and their supporters may be used in Army publications, Arms & Service Journals, Local Press and Trust Apprenticeship programme promotional literature.

Downloads

DEFLOG Awards 2010 - Notes for Commanders

Best Apprentice Award 2010 - Application Notes
Best Apprentice and Best Advanced Apprentice 2010 - Application Form

Train to Gain Award 2010 - Application Notes
Train to Gain Award 2010 - Application Form

Personal Achievement Award 2010 - Application Notes
Personal Achievement Award 2010 - Application Form

Best Unit Award 2010 - Application Notes
Best Unit Award 2010 - Application Form