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 is required to assist in the assessment of this category and is required by Tuesday 10th December 2024.

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.
• 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 process of how you cross-train staff in different areas of your venue.
• Describe any training that has been delivered around environmental sustainability best practices.

Assessment of Plan

• What methods and metrics do you use to assess the plan you deliver?
• Describe how the performance of your team members are assessed.
• Explain the different ways in which you assess and assist employee development and progression and the benefits of these methods.
• 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:

• Annual Training Plan
• Sample Training Calendar
• Summary of learning outcomes of all training programs delivered at your hotel
• Metrics on your Training and Development participation rates
• Metrics on your staff assessing the Training that was delivered
• Metrics on staff retention and career progression
• Images to support

Important:  A concise written submission addressing all bullet points should be no more than 1,000 words in length.