Winner of the Small Employer of the Year Award

We at Kent Saddlery are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded the winner of the Small Employer of the Year category in the Australian Training Awards 2020! #ATA2020

We congratulate all winners and finalists in the Australian Training Awards 2020. It was fantastic to be able to hear snippets of some of the stories of the finalists’ achievements in the virtual presentation event held on Friday evening, 20/11, streamed from Melbourne.

Josh Furness (our Production Manager) and Leah Furness (our Office Manager) were excited to be able to attend the Queensland ceremony at the Hilton, Brisbane, and be congratulated by the Minister for Training and Skills Development, The Hon Di Farmer MP Qld.

We are honoured to be recognised nationally for our contribution to training, especially our part in the reinstatement of the Certificate III in Leather Production apprenticeship in Queensland, making this option a reality for Kent Saddlery’s staff, and for others working in the saddlery and leather production industries.

Josh especially is to be acknowledged for his passion for training and his desire to provide personal and professional development opportunities for Kent Saddlery’s employees. Josh’s drive in pursuing certified training as an option for Kent Saddlery’s staff, qualifying as a TAE, networking and learning all he could about VET were fundamental reasons for Kent Saddlery’s nomination and getting through to the finals.

Josh facilitated Kent Saddlery taking on the development of the leather production training packages, Lyle and Helen supported the project, and afforded Josh and Leah the time (many hours!) to develop the training packages. The result – Getting the Certificate III in Leather Production back on scope! This achievement is great for our employees, our business, and the leather production industry at large.

We recognise and appreciate the team at Kent Saddlery for their hard work, for developing best process practices, for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn, to be mentored, and mentor others in their working and learning journeys; for bringing life and work skills to Kent Saddlery and applying those with generosity. We have a wonderful team and it is great to now be able to employ young people, fresh out of school, and to be able to recognise mature age staff with this apprenticeship. The blend of mature age and youth makes Kent Saddlery what it is and we are grateful for this.

We are grateful for the support and professionalism shown by our Registered Training Organisation partner, Tactile Learning Centre, and for the support and assistance of the many helpful people in the training industry, who’ve assisted us in making this happen!

We’re thankful to our customers who choose Australian Made, which allows us to employ people; providing them with training and livelihoods.

It has been wonderful to be able to work together with so many incredible people to get to where we are today. As part of Kent Saddlery’s “Going the extra mile” ethos, Lyle and Helen hold to the belief that…

• “… successful businesses are built on RELATIONSHIPS, both within the business and with our customers.”
• “… it is as much about PEOPLE as about product…”

Read more About Us >

Virtual Presentation

The virtual presentation is available for viewing on the ATA website, with the specific Kent Saddlery announcement starting in the 28th minute.

We appreciate the congratulations and sharing the news of our win by the following organisations and people.

The Australian Training Awards
View the announcement >

Regional Development Australia – Darling Downs and South West
View the full media release and photos >

The Hon Di Farmer MP Qld – Minister for Training and Skills Development
View the congratulations and photo from Di >

Department of Employment, Small Business and Training, Qld
View the announcement >

AgForce Qld
View story and photo >

Skills for Queensland
Shared the ATA announcement of Kent Saddlery’s win on Friday night, 20/11, with the below comment. Thanks Skills for Queensland!