AITD Emerging Professional Scholarship

The Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD) Emerging Professional Scholarship supports early‑career learning and development (L&D) practitioners starting careers in learning, teaching or training. The scholarship includes AITD membership, mentoring, professional development and recognition to help recipients develop their career, build networks, develop skills and contribute to the L&D profession.

Applications for next year's scholarship will reopen in September 2026.

Prize package (valued at over $4,500 AUD)

• A ticket to the AITD Conference
• One year of AITD professional membership
• A mentoring meeting with an AITD Board member to develop a professional development plan, including free access to designated AITD courses over the year in consultation with the CEO
• $1,000 to support your studies

Eligibility

To be eligible for the AITD Emerging Professional Scholarship, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Qualification pathway — You are currently enrolled in, or have completed within the past two years, a qualification relevant to learning, teaching or training, and/or;

• Career entry pathway — You commenced your first dedicated role in learning, teaching or training within the past two years.

Applicants who do not meet at least one of these criteria are not eligible for the scholarship.

Entry Requirements

Applicants complete an online application form addressing the following Entry Questions (max 150 words each):

1. What led you to a career in learning, teaching or training?
2. How will this scholarship help your career?
3. How do you see yourself contributing to L&D?
4. If you were a speaker at the next AITD Conference, what would be your message?

In line with previous years, applicants must also submit an essay (maximum 1,000 words) responding to one question below. A panel of judges will assess the essay as the major selection criterion. The winning essay may be published in Training & Development magazine, so it can take a journalistic or creative tone.

Essay Questions
(aligned to AITD’s National Conversation)

AITD’s National Conversation provides a year-round focus for discussion, research and professional learning across the L&D community. It centres on four connected themes: building capability for a changing nation; applying AI and embedding learning in the flow of work; designing learning that transfers into sustained workplace performance; and demonstrating sustainable impact while strengthening organisational resilience.

The following essay questions invite applicants to connect their experience, ideas and professional practice to these themes:

1. • • Capability for a changing nation – How can L&D practitioners align workforce capability development with organisational strategy and the changing needs of the Australian workforce? Discuss how strategic partnering, capability frameworks, learning cultures or communities of practice can help organisations build future-ready capability, particularly when budgets and resources are constrained.
     • AI in practice and the flow of work – How can L&D practitioners use AI, automation and emerging learning technologies to improve learning design, learner support and performance without losing sight of privacy, ethics, trust and human connection? Describe practical ways to build digital and AI literacy and embed learning into everyday workflows for diverse, frontline or distributed workforces.
     • Learning that sticks – What makes learning translate into sustained behaviour change and improved workplace performance? Drawing on evidence-informed approaches such as neuroscience, learning transfer, implementation science or performance support, explain how you would design an inclusive learning initiative and measure its impact beyond participation and completion.
     • Sustainable impact and organisational resilience – How can L&D demonstrate measurable value while helping organisations become more adaptable and resilient? Discuss how learning analytics, leadership development, internal capability pipelines, mentoring, peer learning or cross-sector collaboration can contribute to business impact, workforce sustainability and long-term organisational capability.

Assessment Criteria

Essays are assessed against the following areas:

• Essay Content and Structure – clear introduction, logical flow, strong conclusion, stays focused on the prompt
• Essay Argument and Analysis – clear position, relevant evidence/examples, critical thinking
• Essay Writing Quality – grammar, spelling, punctuation, concise and professional tone
• Essay Originality and Insight – unique perspective, creativity, meaningful personal insight
• Scholarship-Specific Criteria (Entry Questions) – alignment with scholarship goals, demonstration of desired qualities, how the scholarship will be utilised
• Overall Impact – engagement, positive impression, convincing case for why the applicant deserves the scholarship
• Responsible Use of AI – any use of AI is appropriately declared, with the submission remaining the applicant’s own work and reflecting their understanding and perspective

How to Apply

Applications will open 1 September 2026
Please prepare your responses to the Entry Questions and your 1,000-word essay before commencing the form.