On Friday 19 September, 2025 NECA Education & Careers (NECA E&C) took out the Employer Award for Apprenticeship Development at the Victorian Training Awards – for the second year in a row.
We were also proud finalists for Large Training Provider of the Year, standing alongside major institutions such as Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI) and Federation TAFE. To put it in perspective, BKI trains in a single year the same number of students NECA E&C has trained across 34 years of trade training, while Federation TAFE operates five campuses across regional Victoria.
Our footprint may be smaller, but this recognition proves that excellence isn’t defined by scale – it’s about quality, innovation, and the impact we make on the future of the electrical industry.
What sets NECA E&C apart
- Higher-than-average completion rates
- Greater female participation compared to industry benchmarks
- Investment in new technologies and training innovation
- Programs like EDGE, supporting qualified electricians to become teachers
At the heart of this year’s award submission was Leading Mates, a professional and personal development program designed for women apprentices. Developed in partnership with Learning Republic and funded by the Office for Women, Leading Mates exceeded its target of 50 participants.
The program built leadership capability through skills such as relationship building, conflict management, team coaching, self-awareness, and constructive feedback. Delivered through in-person sessions, industry guest speakers, and solutions-focused resources, it also encouraged apprentices to form strong peer networks, with 100% of participants surveyed stating the program helped them build those connections.
A proud achievement
CEO Gideon Perrott highlighted that this recognition belongs to the whole organisation:
“As an industry-owned and run organisation, we set ourselves a purpose that would benefit the entire industry we serve. It was a purpose of two parts: to set the benchmark for quality, and to show what’s possible.”
While we are proud to have gone back-to-back in the Employer Award category, Gideon is confident NECA E&C will one day claim the title of Large Training Provider of the Year.
Given our continued focus on quality, innovation, and industry leadership – we believe it’s only a matter of time.
