1. Who can enter the GWO Safety & Training Awards?

The Awards are only open to teams and individuals employed by, or contracted to, GWO certified training providers.

2. When is the deadline to submit my entry to the GWO Safety & Training Awards 2025?

The nomination period for entries begins on February 3rd and ends on April 30th, 2025.

3. We are a recently certified GWO training provider, can we enter the Awards?

The Safety & Training Awards are only open to GWO certified training providers who received their certification before 31st December 2024.

4. I cannot complete my submission for the Safety & Training Awards

This could be for various reasons, but a common problem is entrants forgetting to verify their email address. Check your email inbox to see if you have received a verification email from GWO and that you have replied to it. If you continue to have problems, contact comms@globalwindsafety.org and we’ll reply as soon as possible.

5. Instructor of the Year Award: How does it work?

Since its introduction in 2024, the Instructor of the Year Award aims to globally recognise exceptional instructors. The process for determining the winners is outlined below:

• Nominations: Course participants can nominate their instructors using this survey link (https://wkf.ms/4hmQ26Z). Alternatively, training centres can generate a QR code using the same link to make it easy for participants to submit nominations during or after their courses.

• Validation: Training centres must validate instructor nominations before they proceed to the next stage. GWO will contact relevant centres between May 5th–16th, 2025, for validation. Instructors moving forward will be notified by email no later than May 5th. Judging: An external panel will evaluate nominees based on participant feedback and training centre input.

• Winners: Shortlisted candidates will be announced in August 2025, and the winner will be revealed at the Safety & Training Awards Ceremony on October 8th in Madrid, Spain. Note: Winners of the 2024 Award are not permitted/allowed to enter the competition for this award/edition

6. My company has training facilities in multiple continents. How should we apply for Training Team of the Year?

Irrespective of the number of facilities a business operates, there is a single Training Team of the Year application process. Training teams from different facilities may apply individually (entering single submissions- see below) or collectively. This is a business decision, as there is no limit on the number of entries.

After the submission period, all the entries will be divided into regional groups for judging. Each region will have a Training Team of the Year regional winner. Applications with outstanding scores in an individual assessment criterion (for example: ‘Facilities and Training Scenarios’) may be considered, by the judging panel, for a ‘Highly Commended’ award.

7. Can we create more than one submission for Training Team of the Year?

You can, providing each submission represents either a different training facility (with a different address) or a different instructor team at a single training facility.

For example, a GWO training provider/company operating more than one site may enter the same award for each site but may not enter the competition as a collective entity. Please note multi-site entries will be considered separately. For example, if Company A holds facilities in multiple locations (A1, A2, A3, A4) Company A may not participate collectively as a single entity: only as companies A1, A2, A3 and A4 individually

8. What supporting material should we provide?

A good award entry includes supporting material. For example, if you have created a unique method of delivering training, it would be helpful to provide the judges with documentation of how it works and what the benefits are. For example, did you achieve improvements in learning? If so, how did you measure them? Do you have any customer recommendations you would like to share? There is a place in the application to upload relevant documentation. 

9. Young Achiever Award: Who should apply?

The Young Achiever Award spotlights exceptional individuals in your organisation who are under the age of 30. We invite nominations for outstanding contributors such as instructors, business development professionals, or any young person within the wind industry who is leaving a lasting impact in your organisation.

Consider submitting a video for this category to provide the judges with a deeper insight into your personality and passion. Although videos are not mandatory, they serve as a valuable medium for showcasing your dedication. Please note that the production quality of the video is not a significant factor; a recording made with your phone can be sufficient to make a compelling submission.

10. Can I participate if I’m already 30?

The answer is yes! As long as you are under the age of 30 at the time of entering the competition, you are eligible to apply. Go ahead and share your story and accomplishments with us!

11. Can I nominate a colleague for Young Achiever Award?

Certainly! We welcome nominations from colleagues who wish to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of their peers. When submitting a nomination, go beyond simply listing achievements: share compelling stories that vividly illustrate the nominee's impact and journey. Narrate their success in a way that captivates and resonates, allowing the judging panel to truly understand and appreciate the unique qualities that make your colleague deserving of the Young Achiever Award. Your narrative storytelling will help paint a more vivid and compelling picture of their achievements.

12. What happens after I submit my entry?

You will receive an automatic acknowledgement email from GWO outlining the next steps. As a first step, GWO will screen entries to ensure they are complete and fulfil the competition regulations. After this, a judging panel of external HSE experts will rate the entries. The shortlisted Training Teams, Young Achievers and Instructor of the Year will be announced on social media. Winners will be announced at the Safety & Training Awards Ceremony on October 8th in Madrid, Spain

13. How does the assessment process work?

Entries are judged by our panel of industry experts. For the Training Team of the Year Award, the assessment criteria have equal weight in the judging process. The judging period finishes in early July.

14. What are the assessment criteria for the 2025 Safety & Training Awards?

The GWO Safety & Training Awards recognises outstanding work by the GWO training centres based on these criteria:

• Instructor Development: A commitment to ongoing professional development and staying current with the industry’s developments, as well as GWO Standards & Requirements. This could include attending conferences, participating in GWO pilots and staying informed about the latest developments in teaching skills.

• Learning Environment & Scenario Training: Describe how you’ve designed your training environment to represent the technicians’ work environment. Describe how you use equipment, facilities, specialist areas and landscapes to design practical training scenarios that represent the technicians’ work environment. How do you accommodate the different learning needs and requirements of your students?

• Contribution to the Community & Industry: Share example of your participation in industry initiatives. What initiatives aimed at promoting workforce development are you part of?