We're pleased to share that Oppida has been shortlisted in the Best Blended Learning Solution category at the 2026 AITD Excellence Awards. The nomination is for our work with NECA Education & Careers on the Flexible Courseware: Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician project; a collaboration that has been close to a year in the making.
The awards ceremony is on Thursday, 14 May 2026, at the Sofitel Brisbane Central, running alongside the AITD Conference from 13 to 15 May.
NECA Education & Careers holds a distinctive position in Australian trade training as it is the country's largest provider of electrical apprenticeship training, and its programs have long been developed from within the industry, by practitioners who work in the trade. That grounding in real-world electrical work is a genuine strength. It also creates specific challenges when the goal is to make training more flexible and accessible at a larger scale.
The work involved a full redesign of the Stage 1 qualification's units of competency, building a learning model that could be delivered flexibly across different contexts and modes. We started with a pilot on one of the more complex units, UEECD0051: Use drawings, diagrams, schedules, standards, codes and specifications, before applying the same approach more broadly.
The goals were practical, reduce the time apprentices spend waiting to progress, give both learners and their employers a better experience of the training, and equip educators with materials that genuinely work in a blended delivery context. The longer aim is a training model that is sustainable and scalable. One that supports technical literacy, safety, and learner independence across the broader electrical apprenticeship ecosystem in Australia.
Electricians are listed on Jobs and Skills Australia's Occupation Shortage List and appear on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, both of which identify the trade as a nationally recognised area of skills shortage (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2024). Training that takes longer than necessary to access, or that doesn't hold up under the delivery conditions apprentices are actually in, has consequences that extend well beyond a single RTO.
The AITD Excellence Awards are an annual recognition of achievement in learning and development across Australia. Being shortlisted in the Best Blended Learning Solution category, assessed by practitioners in the field, is recognition we're proud of, and we're glad it reflects the kind of work we want to be known for.
A genuine thank you to everyone on the Oppida team who put time into this project, and to the NECA team who trusted us with something that matters to them.
Oppida is a learning design agency working across higher education, VET, and corporate learning. Get in touch if you're working on a similar challenge.
The AITD Excellence Awards are an annual recognition of outstanding achievement in learning and development across Australia, run by the Australian Institute of Training and Development. The 2026 ceremony takes place on 14 May at the Sofitel Brisbane Central as part of the AITD Conference.
What is the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician?The Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician (UEE30820) is the nationally recognised qualification required to become a licensed electrician in Australia. It is completed through an apprenticeship, combining on-the-job experience with off-job training delivered by a registered training organisation.
What is NECA Education and Careers?NECA Education and Careers is the training arm of the National Electrical and Communications Association. It is Australia's largest provider of electrical apprenticeship training, delivering programs across multiple states.
What is blended learning?Blended learning combines online or digital components with face-to-face or workplace-based delivery. In a trade qualification context, the design challenge is identifying which elements suit which modality — since hands-on competency components require direct supervised assessment regardless of how other content is delivered.
Are electricians in short supply in Australia?Yes. Electricians are listed on Jobs and Skills Australia's Occupation Shortage List and the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, both of which recognise the electrical trade as an area of national skills shortage.