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AE News Volume 11, Issue 13
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Upcoming Events
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9 May - Alcohol and Drug Awareness W/shop
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30 May - Cultural Awareness W/shop
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28 & 29 Jun - Mid-Year Conference
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AEN Mid-year Conference 28 & 29 June – Registrations Open
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This year's AEN Mid-year Conference will be held on the 28 & 29 June at the Dingley International.
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Victorian Government – Department of Education – Higher Education and Skills
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Victorian Skills Commissioners Office
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Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
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Victorian Registration Qualifications Authority
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Hear updates on a wide range of topics including:
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When
Where
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Dingley International Hotel
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334 Boundary Rd, Dingley Village VIC 3172
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Early bird registrations close Friday 25 May 2018
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Victorian Government – Social Procurement
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On Thursday morning this week Minister Ben Carroll launched the Victorian Government' Social Procurement Framework.
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Building a fair, inclusive and sustainable Victoria through procurement
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Click here for the full media release.
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The Victorian Government is committed to social procurement. It recognises the ability of government procurement to make a difference to the lives of all Victorians.
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To support this commitment, the Government has established Victoria’s Social Procurement Framework (SPF).
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Each year the Government spends billions of dollars on goods, services and construction to support service delivery and operations. By leveraging its significant buying power, the SPF enables buyers and suppliers to deliver social, economic and environmental outcomes that benefit the Victorian community.
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Value for money is a key driver underpinning all procurement in Victoria. The SPF aims to ensure value-for-money considerations are not solely focused on price, but incorporate a balanced judgement of a range of financial and non-financial factors.
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Social procurement is when organisations use their buying power to generate social value above and beyond the value of the goods, services or construction being procured.
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In the Victorian Government context, social value means the benefits created for all Victorians when the social and sustainable outcomes in the SPF are achieved.
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Revised Australian Work Health and Safety
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The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022 was launched originally on 31 October 2012 and an updated version republished recently - April 2018. With its vision of ‘healthy, safe and productive working lives’ it is a high level, forward-looking document capable of being implemented by governments, unions, industry and other organisations across Australia.
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The Strategy was developed after nearly two years of consultation with WHS regulators, governments, unions, employer organisations, industry groups, safety organisations and the general public. It is underpinned by two key principles:
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- All workers regardless of their occupation or how they are engaged have the right to a healthy and safe working environment.
- Well-designed healthy and safe work will allow workers in Australia to have more productive working lives.
The Strategy sets three national targets to be achieved by 2022:
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- A reduction in the number of worker fatalities due to injury of at least 20%.
- A reduction in the incidence rate of claims resulting in one or more weeks off work of at least 30%.
- A reduction in the incidence rate of claims for musculoskeletal disorders resulting in one or more weeks off work of at least 30%.
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New Social Traders Certification Mark
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For the first time, the growing Australian social enterprise sector will be better defined as an industry, thanks to a new Social Traders certification mark.
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The new certification offer is designed to provide social enterprises with brand credibility and enhance their prospects of winning commercial procurement contracts with business and Government buyers, ultimately helping them pursue their social causes.
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Certified social enterprises will carry an identifiable logo-mark that they can use across promotional materials.
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Certification also provides access to a range of Social Traders tailored services that assist enterprises scale and grow; as well as access to exclusive networking opportunities and connections to the broader social enterprise community.
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“Overall, Social Traders certification is designed to create a more well-defined social enterprise sector and greatly enhance opportunities for growth,” said Social Traders MD David Brookes.
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“Until now, the social enterprise sector has been loosely identified with no single definition. For us, social purpose is the primary criteria and as such recognition via Social Traders certification makes it easier for business and government to buy from these social enterprises."
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“We are certifying enterprises that meet a definition, which closely aligns with international standards. We aim to provide credibility, and share the awareness and trust that lies in the reputation of Social Traders."
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“By extending Social Traders brand equity to the trusted social enterprises we work with, this certification logomark provides assurance to business and government buyers that Social Traders has endorsed a business as a social enterprise.”
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There are approximately 20,000 social enterprises operating in the Australian marketplace.
Brookes said that Social Traders estimated that for every $100,000 dollars spent on social procurement, 1.5 jobs are created for those suffering or at risk of disadvantage.
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“Social Traders is actively working to help buyers understand the huge social impact and significant community benefit they can achieve by including social enterprise in their procurement decisions,” Brookes said.
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He said that the Victorian Government Level Crossing Removal Authority was leading the way, being the first body to adopt a social procurement policy, requiring that goods and services across its 50 projects are purchased from social enterprises.
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Read more about certification here.
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Commonwealth Apprenticeship Forum
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The real skills for real careers Australian Apprenticeships forum is a chance for industry leaders, training organisations, employers and apprentices to come together to exchange ideas and work on the challenges facing the sector.
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Local federal member and Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Karen Andrews MP, opened the third apprenticeship forum on the Gold Coast on Monday this week.
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A Try’aSkill event was also conducted concurrently with the forum to offer students a great opportunity to get “hands on” and learn about the benefits of an apprenticeship by trying skills in plumbing, electrical and carpentry.
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“Students coming to the end of high school will find themselves at a crossroad, having to make a decision about their future, and knowing which path to take can be daunting,” Minister Andrews said.
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“That’s why events like Try’aSkill, hosted by WorldSkills Australia, are so important. They give local young Australians a chance to get to grips with the trades and other occupations that can be achieved by obtaining a vocational education and training qualification.
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“They’ll be able to see what trade or skills might click with them – what excites them – which will help their decision making as they embark on the next stage of life.
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“So events like this can really demonstrate to students that apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications can lead to successful and rewarding careers.”
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End of Financial Year Funding Available: Women's Leadership Development
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Women & Leadership Australia is administering a national initiative to support the development of female leaders across Australia’s training and development sector.
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The initiative is providing women with grants of between $3,000 and $8,000 to enable participation in a range of leadership development programs.
The scholarship funding is provided with the specific intent of providing powerful and effective development opportunities for training and development sector women; however the funding is strictly limited and has to be allocated prior to the end of this financial year.
Expressions of Interest
Find out more and register your interest by completing the Expression of Interest form prior to the 15 June. Click here to accesss EOI.
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Our Community Release Updated Child Safety Toolkit
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Not-for-profit advice group Our Community have recently released their 2018 Child Safety Toolkit, which provides free advice for charities and community groups on how to ensure children in their care stay safe.
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The joint venture with Child Wise and Moores contains recommendations, checklists and sample policies to ensure every organisation is acting appropriately when working with children.
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Regional Youth Grants
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The 2018 Heywire Regional Youth Summit in February was an event geared towards young people from across the nation who gathered to discuss how to make life better for themselves and their peers.
The youth from regional, rural and remote Australia developed seven ideas to improve the lives of young Australians:
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- Connecting to Culture - is a community festival which connects young people with their culture, inspiring their knowledge and leadership.
- Bridging Agriculture - is a partnership connecting new Australians living in regional Australia with families from farming backgrounds, giving them a greater understanding of rural industry and food production.
- HOPE (Helping Our Peers Educate) - is aiming to build a better understanding of basic mental health and a better educated network of peers
- Taking Control - assisting young people to recognise red flags in relationships with the aim of reducing the rate of domestic violence
- Yeah the Boys - aimed at steering boys towards fun pursuits such as sports and group bonding and away from drug-taking and alcohol
- Medifriends - brings medical professionals together to discuss healthcare and access to services, which is a huge issue in regional Australia
- Step Up - is providing a platform for young people to be exposed to the opportunities available within their communities
Together with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, ABC Heywire is offering $100,000 in seed funding to assist community organisations to make these ideas a reality.
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A $10,000 grant will be given to 10 applicants, with individuals and groups urged to apply if one of the ideas could spark change in a community. For more information, visit ABC Heywire website.
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NCVER Update
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Comparing the top 20 training package qualifications
An innovative new research product allows users to explore data on the top 20 VET training package qualifications with the aid of insightful research commentary.
Comparing high-use training package qualifications – a hybrid of a research report and a data slicer – can be used to make comparisons and draw conclusions in areas such as enrolment trends, delivery types, student profiles and graduate outcomes.
Interested to give it a try? Two research summaries are available that demonstrate how the tool can be used:
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A webinar to demonstrate this new product was held last Thursday 19 April. If you weren't able to attend, you can also download the recording from our portal.
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Thanks to our Industry Partners
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