Alf Gullotta was already a well-known identity in Innisfail, Queensland, when he was thrust into the national spotlight by taking out the Prime Minister Small Business of the Year Award at the Australian Training Awards.

"Training," he said, "keeps regional communities like Innisfail together. I'm so indebted to my home town because it gives me my livelihood and gives me my staff. All my staff are locals.

"I give most of the credit for this award to my staff because they have really embraced training."

Today, Alf is justifiably proud of his burgeoning small business - but it's pride he's earned the hard way. As a teenager, he felt he was a real underachiever. Against his father's advice, he left school to take up an apprenticeship at a local car repair shop and the rest, as they say is "history".

His busy workshop currently employs 12 full time staff, including two New Apprentices. And in addition to the permanent employees, three school-based New Apprentices attend one full day per week and after school three days per week to fast track their New Apprenticeships. Alf is also a keen supporter of school work experience programs.

The Australian Training Awards judges said, "Alf is well integrated into the life of Innisfail and is an excellent adcocate for the benefits of training and in particular, for giving the young people of the town the opportunity to live and work in their home town".

The judges' accolades were underlined by the Prime Minister, John Howard who, in a letter to the award winner said that the "leadership and dedication to quality through staff training that Mr Gullotta has displayed has set a benchmark for others and demonstrates the strong link that exists between success and a commitment to education and training".

"If business operators don't train, they're selling themselves short on opportunities to increase profit, improve staff morale, improve skills and decrease the chance of accidents," Alf said.

"They're missing out on the opportunity to grow their business, because with training comes exposure to new methods, new techniques and new equipment."

Though committed to staff development, Alf Gullotta isn't neglecting his own education and training. His plans include finishing a Bachelor of Further Education and Training, which he says will expand his choices in the long term.

"The Prime Minister's Small Business of the Year Award has given me enormous encouragement," he says.