AE News Volume 14, Issue 23

Last Chance to Register for the AEN Virtual Event Series 21-25 June

• 10.00 - 11.00am, National Skills Commission Update
• 1.00 - 2.00pm, Jobs Victoria Update

• 10.00 - 11.00am, Australian Digital Skills Analysis
• 1.00 - 2.00pm, A New Zealand perspective on VET

• 10.00 - 11.00am, AEN & GAN Network Update, and Kangan Pre-Apprenticeships Programs
• 1.00 - 2.00pm, Employer Attitudes and Behavior to Skills Development

• 10.00 - 11.00am, Big Build Apprenticeships
• 1.00 - 2.00pm, VRQA Update, and Commonwealth Apprenticeship Employment Incentives

• 10.00 - 11.00am, Women in Trades

Victorian Apprenticeship Recovery Program – Minister Pulford Acknowledges 300th Commencement Milestone

• 32% male, 67% female participation.
• 8% of participants identify as indigenous.
• 6% of participants identify having a disability.
• 35% of participants in metropolitan Melbourne and 65% in regional Victoria.
• Apprentices/trainees come from 21 different cultural backgrounds.
• 300+ apprentices/trainees cover 41 different qualifications.

COVID Restrictions Ease for Metropolitan Melbourne

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home.
• There are no limits on the distance you can travel, and you can travel to regional Victoria.
• You can travel to Victoria’s Alpine Resorts if all visitors have a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departing Melbourne and receive a negative test (children under 12 years not included). Visitors must be able to show evidence of a negative test as a condition of entry, such as a text message from a testing provider.
• You can have up to two adults plus dependants visit your home per day.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home.
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild you must get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit, no matter how long you spend at that location.

• Up to two adults can visit a household per day, plus dependants.
• You can see friends and family outdoors in a public place in a group of up to 20 people. A public place is an area accessible by members of the public like a park or the beach. It does not include your backyard at home.

• If you can work or study from home, you should continue to do so. If you can’t work from home, you can go to work.
• Schools and universities remain open.
• Offices can increase to 50% capacity or 20 people, whichever is greater.

• Religious gatherings and ceremonies are allowed with a maximum of 150 people per venue (indoors and outdoors), with no more than 75 indoors plus the number of people required for the service. A density limit of 1 person per 4 sqm applies indoors and outdoors.
• You can have a wedding at a venue with up to 20 people. This limit includes the couple and two witnesses. The celebrant and a photographer are in addition to the cap. Weddings in private residences are not permitted unless compassionate grounds apply.
• Funerals are allowed with up to 75 people. This limit doesn’t include people required to conduct the funeral. If a funeral is held at a private residence, private gathering restrictions apply.

• Community sport can resume for all ages, including training and competition. Contact and non-contact sport outdoors can resume with the minimum amount of people needed to play the game.
• Indoor physical recreation can resume, with group sizes of up to 10 per session indoors, plus the minimum number of people required to conduct the activity (such as a trainer running a gym class). No more than 50 patrons per venue indoors, a maximum capacity of 150 per venue (indoors and outdoors) and a density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm applies.
• For activities other than community sport (like exercise classes in the park) you can exercise outdoors with up to 20 people.

• Shops are open with a density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm. While shopping you need to adhere to the patron limit per shop.
• Beauty and personal care services are open. Workers must wear a face mask, but customers can remove their face mask for the duration of the service if the service cannot be provided with a face mask on.
• Restaurants and cafes (under 100sqm) can open with up to 25 people before density requirements apply. A density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm with a maximum of 150 people (indoors and outdoors) and no more than 75 indoors. Only seated service is permitted when dining in, to ensure everyone can keep 1.5 metres distance.

• Community facilities including libraries can open with 150 per venue (indoors and outdoors) including up to 75 indoors, and a maximum group size of 10 (excluding infants under the age of 1 year) plus the minimum number of people required to conduct an activity or service.
• Bars, karaoke facilities and nightclubs are open with seated service, a density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm and no more than 50 people indoors.
• Indoor seated venues such as cinemas can have 50% seated capacity and up to 75 people per venue and maximum group size of 10 people (excluding babies under 1 year). A density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm applies to indoor non-seated areas.
• Outdoor seated venues can have 50% seated capacity and up to 150 people per venue and maximum group size of 20 people (excluding babies under 1 year). A density requirement of 1 person per 4 sqm applies to outdoor non-seated areas.

• Face masks must be carried at all times and must be worn indoors. You do not need to wear a mask in your own home or if a lawful exception applies.
• Face masks are recommended when outdoors when you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to metropolitan Melbourne.
• You can have up to 5 adults visit your home once per day.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home.
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5m from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild you must get tested for COVID-19.

• Up to 5 adults can visit a household once per day. Babies under 12 months are not included in this cap, and other dependants can also attend if they cannot be left unattended or cared for in another setting. The 5 people may be from different households and may visit together or separately. If you receive 5 visitors in a day, you can still visit another household who is yet to have visitors.
• You can see friends and family outdoors in a public place in a group of up to 50 people. A public place is an area accessible by members of the public like a park or the beach. It does not include your backyard at home.

• If you can work or study from home, you should continue to do so. If you can’t work from home, you can go to work.
• Schools and universities remain open.
• Offices can increase to 75% capacity or 30 people, whichever is greater.

Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program

Employment Data – May 2021

• Unemployment rate decreased to 5.1%.
• Participation rate increased to 66.2%.
• Employment increased to 13,125,100.
• Employment to population ratio increased to 62.8%.
• Underemployment rate decreased to 7.4%.
• Monthly hours worked increased by 25 million hours.

• The unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 pts to 5.1%
• The unemployment rate was 1.9 pts lower than May 2020, and 0.2 pts lower than March 2020
• Unemployed people decreased by 53,000 to 701,100
• Unemployed people decreased by 215,400 from May 2020 and was 22,400 lower than March 2020
• The youth unemployment rate increased by 0.1 pts to 10.7%
• The youth unemployment rate was 5.1 pts lower than May 2020, and 0.9 pts lower than March 2020

Webinar: How Digital Skills Relate to Australian Apprenticeships

• The types of digital skills needed in Australia;
• How the Australian VET system can deliver these skills; and
• Initiatives targeting the digital workforce.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria Commissioner Appointed

NCVER Update

Victorian Youth Week: 26 June - 2 July

Thanks to our Industry Partners

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