Outstanding Achievement in Training

* There must be a minimum of three entrants in a category for all entrants to progress to the judging phase.

*Winner is eligible to enter the AHA National Awards (Outstanding Achievement in Training)

A written submission (maximum 1,000 words) must be provided by Wednesday, 10 December 2025.

This category is open to all venues (except group hotels entering as one group) working to raise professional standard within the hospitality industry by delivering training within the venue.

Documents required for submission:

• A written response describing the judging criteria below.
• Supporting documents and images, where relevant.

Judges will be assessing the following points in your written submission:

Training and Development Plan

• Provide an overview of your training and development plan and detail how this aligns with the strategy of your venue. What are the main objectives of your plan?

Internal and External Training

• Describe the internal training that has been offered to your team members and outline the learning outcomes.
  • Be sure to describe the full scope of the areas you train staff in, from customer service to formal training requirements (e.g. RSA).
• Describe the external training that has been offered to your team members and outline the learning outcomes. (Include details of your external provider.)
• Describe the pathways and opportunities for staff to enter into leadership roles at your venue.
• Describe any training that has been delivered around environmental sustainability best practices

Assessment of Plan

• Describe how the performance and progression of your team members are assessed.
• Explain the variety of ways in which you assist individual employee development..
• Give examples of increased employee skill levels achieved as a direct result of your training and development program.
• Provide evidence of increased employee retention as a consequence of your program.
• Describe the methods of on-going evaluation of your training and development program to ensure training it meets or exceeds current industry standards and expectations.

Training and development impact:

• How does your plan contribute to raising the quality and professionalism of employees in our industry?
• How is your commitment to quality training and development beneficial to your employees?
• How does your commitment to quality training and development give you a competitive edge?

Supporting Documents:

• Sample Training Plan
• Sample Training Calendar
• Feedback from staff assessing the quality and outcomes of the training provided
• Any relevant images