Shining the spotlight on outstanding learners, practitioners and training providers is what the annual Victorian Learn Local Awards is all about.
The awards, held by the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board, were this year celebrated through a series of videos on social media, as part of a Virtual Gala series.
Hosted by professional MC Sarah James, the series featured pre-recorded video interviews with the finalists. Winners of each award category were announced at the end of each video.
The Virtual Gala series ran across two weeks from 30 November and reached more than 47,000 viewers, highlighting the success of delivering the awards during coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.
Training and programs are delivered to about 30,000 people each year from 270 not-for-profit organisations registered as Learn Locals in Victoria, making the awards important in continuing the Learn Local spirit.
ACFE chairperson Maria Peters congratulated all finalists for their efforts in changing the lives of thousands of Victorians each year by supporting learning.
'Every finalist who has been featured in the 2020 Virtual Gala Series videos is an exemplar of hard work and commitment to learning or providing a wonderful education and training experience,' Maria said.
'Congratulations to all our finalists, you should be proud of your achievements.'
Award winners and categories
The 2020 Learn Local Awards included individual and team categories such as learner, program and practitioner, or volunteer.
Three organisation category winners were awarded $10,000, while individual category winners received $5000 and individual finalists won $1000.
A new People's Choice Award was created this year for Program finalists, with the winner receiving an Apple MacBook laptop.
To view the full list of winners and their profiles, refer to the
Learn Local Award Winners and Finalists web page.
Find out more
For more information, please contact the Victorian Learn Local Awards team at
learnlocal@education.vic.gov.au