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The 2015 Excellence Awards trophy.
MEA launches new rigorous selection process for its 2015 National Awards With regional and state judging well underway and our national final just around the corner (with winners to be announced on November 21), we thought we would give you an inside look into MEA’s comprehensive selection process. The Excellence Awards is evolving into the most prestigious awards program for the electrical industry in Australia due to the eight award categories, the range of applicants and their achievements, a rigorous nine-month process and the calibre of the judges. As most of you would already be aware, our award categories include: • Master Electrician of the Year • Apprentice of the Year • Data Project of the Year – Lex Batterham Memorial Award • Women in Contracting Award • Energy Efficiency Project of the Year • Residential Project of the Year • Commercial Project of the Year • Industrial / Mining Project of the Year But before the winners are announced at our prestigious awards ceremonies, each applicant must undergo a robust selection process. First, nominated individuals and organisations must complete a detailed application form, including relevant images, videos or references as supporting evidence. Desktop audits are then undertaken for each candidate. www.masterelectricians.com.au
Shortlisted applicants are assessed based on their application and at a face-to-face interview with our expert judging panel. Winners of each category from every state are then flown to Brisbane to attend the Excellence Awards national judging round and are invited to attend a black tie gala event where the national category winners are announced. The judging process Chosen by MEA, the judging panel comprises of over 100 representatives who have expert knowledge and experience in a variety of sectors of the electrical industry. Each category is overseen by a chairperson and two-to-four judges who must have a vast understanding of each candidate before the interviews commence. Each judge makes an extensive individual assessment of the candidate, allocating a score out of 50. Manager of Energy Super Roberta Albrecht recently judged the Apprentice of the Year and Women in Contracting categories at the 2015 WA Excellence Awards State Finals and says the calibre of this year’s entrants has been impressive. “It was so great to meet so many entrants who have such excellent support in their trade, which has helped to drive
them forward to such high standards,” Roberta says. When judging the Apprentice of the Year category, Roberta says she looked for someone who had a thorough understanding of the major achievements in their apprenticeship and could pass on their hard-earned skills to future apprentices. For the Women in Contracting category, she says candidates needed to demonstrate sound business judgment and have a view for the future of their business and the industry. “I believe there is more of a role for women in contracting and they can exhibit just as much drive and passion for the industry as the men, either on the tools or running a successful contracting business,” she says. At MEA, we know the application and judging processes are not quick and simple – but it shouldn’t be easy to receive such prestigious recognition. That’s why we uphold the highest standards when highlighting the very best industry leaders in quality, innovation and safety. To find out more about our Excellence Awards, visit www.masterelectricians.com.au/page/ Events/Excellence_Awards