The Joint Winners of the 2011 Award are: Jane Foxe of Assisi Catholic College (QLD) Read Jane Foxe’s article in the February edition of the ACS Newsletter and Alison Langham of Lake Illawarra High School (NSW) Read Alison Langham's article in the upcoming May edition of the ACS Newsletter

About

The award is sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

It celebrates the achievement of individual career teachers and seeks to help advance career development nationally in both primary and secondary schools.

History

The award, originally called the ACS National Innovation in School Careers Programs Award, has been running since 2000. The change in name in 2004 recognised Judith Leeson's contribution to the field of career development.

Judith Leeson is the former president of the Australian Association of Career Counsellors (now known as the Career Development Association of Australia), and inaugural President and founding member of the Career Industry Council of Australia. She is involved in responding to Federal Government departments on issues relating to career development and in developing a strong relationship between policy makers, researchers and practitioners.

Eligibility

The award is open to all government, independent, Catholic and other denominational schools in Australia that offer a career or life/work program. A winner and runner-up will be selected from both the primary and secondary school systems.

Nominations and judging process

Finalists are short-listed on the basis of written responses from the nomination form, against the following assessment criteria.
Judges look for applicants who:

• demonstrate excellence in their delivery of career education

• ensure the career program is supported by the school executive team and staff as a whole

• initiate and implement strong partnerships with parents, local community, industry and employers

• support and advocate a broad range of career paths to students.

The judging panel comprises representatives of the careers profession from different states, a DEEWR representative and an ACS representative. The panel will review all nominations and develop a shortlist of four finalists who will be interviewed to decide the winners.

We hope you can join us at the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) conference — to be held in Canberra 29–30 March 2012 — where the finalists will present on their programs and the ultimate winner will be announced.

Prizes

All four finalists — two primary and two secondary — will be funded to attend the 2012 CDAA Annual National Careers Conference in Canberra, 28–30 March 2012, where the winners will be announced.

The winners' schools will each receive $5000 and the finalist's schools will each receive $3,000 as well as, a prize pack of careers resources appropriate for their school group.

Email acsaward@esa.edu.au if you have any questions or require further information.