Skills Tasmania chairman David Hind welcomed more than 500 people to the biggest night of the year for the state's training industry, held at Hobart's Wrest Point.

Most of the Tasmanian winners will represent the state at the Australian Training Awards, sponsored by the federal government, to be held in Brisbane in November.

Parliamentary secretary for education and skills Paul O'Halloran presented the awards to the recipients including the Skills Institute Apprentice of the Year Benjamin Standen; Federal Group Trainee of the Year Benjamin Wilkinson; Rotary Club of Deloraine Vocational Student of the Year Jillian Brandsema; JobNet Tasmania VET in Schools Student of the Year Mallory Priest and the Hazell Bros School-Based Apprentice-Trainee of the Year Aaron Zantuck.

Martin Leeson, of Hobart, a student who has overcome barriers of disadvantage to achieve his VET qualifications, was awarded the Work & Training Limited Equity Award for a Vocational Student.

Employers who demonstrate excellence in training are also recognised in the awards through the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Employer of the Year award, won this year by Mead Con, of Devonport, and the TCCI Small Employer of the Year, IMOLA Salon Australia, of Hobart.

Work & Training Limited were the ACPET Training Provider of the Year for 2011.

The VET Teacher-Trainer of the Year was acknowledged in a new award, and the inaugural winner was Stephen Lunn, a chef and hospitality teacher at Guilford Young College in Hobart.

The Industry Collaboration Award is another new national category, and the Tasmanian winner for the first year was NGT Tasmania.

The Trevor Leo Medal, honouring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the vocational education and training sector over a sustained period, was presented to Laurie Miller, of Tasmanian Polytechnic.

The annual Tasmanian Training Awards are organised by Skills Tasmania, as part of Australian Training Awards.