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AE News Volume 16, Issue 1
Friday, 3rd February 2023
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Upcoming Events
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5-7 Feb - GAN Melbourne conference
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22 Feb - QA Standards & OHS Network meeting 1 March- Building personal Resilience
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Welcome Back
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Welcome to our first newsletter edition for 2023. This year will be another busy one with a new federal government and some changes at the state level.
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We look forward to providing you with a weekly update on all thing’s apprenticeships and VET related through this e-newsletter.
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A reminder to send through any good news stories that you would like us to promote.
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We look forward to working with you again in 2023.
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Government updates
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New Department Organisation Structures
National Skills Organisations recently announced
Stage One Grant Opportunity has been finalised and the outcomes have been announced
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- Agribusiness – a new entity, Skills Insight, will be established by Skills Impact
- Energy, Gas and Renewables – a new entity will be established by a consortium of employee and employer organisations including Master Electricians Australia, Electrical Trades Union, and National Electrical and Communications Association
- Finance, Technology and Business – a new entity will be established by the Digital Skills Organisation
- Manufacturing – a new entity, Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance, will be established by Innovation and Business Skills Australia
- Mining and Automotive – a new entity will be established by the Australian Minerals and Energy Skills Alliance
- Transport and Logistics – a new entity, Industry Skills Australia, will be established by Australian Industry Standards
- Public Safety and Government – a new entity will be established by the Public Safety Industry Committee
- Early Educators, Health and Human Services – a new entity, HumanAbility, will be established by a consortium of employee and employer organisations, led by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
- Building, Construction and Property – a new entity will be established by a consortium of employer and employee organisations from the building, construction and property sectors.
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Jobs and Skills Australia Report
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This examines the availability and accessibility of vocational education and training (VET) for students outside of Australia’s capital cities.
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These initial findings will help inform future research and analysis in this area.
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The report reveals that training is driven to a large extent by local industries with higher enrolments in agricultural and engineering-related training.
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Training in essential services such as health and education had an equal weighting across major cities and regions.
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VET students in regional and remote areas are more likely to undertake lower-level qualifications than those in major cities. In particular, students in remote areas a more likely to undertake qualifications at the Certificate II and below level (32% of enrolments compared to 24% for all Australia).
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In comparison with major cities, a larger proportion of VET students in regional, rural and remote Australia are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
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The report identifies several challenges related to regional and remote VET delivery including lower average enrolments in any given qualification, potentially large travel distances, fewer training providers in the market and, consequently, a larger reliance on a smaller number of registered training organisations (RTOs).
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These factors reinforce the need to support delivery in regional and remote areas through specific measures.
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Stuart Ross Hall 1959 – 2023
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Stuart Hall was a long time Victorian Government official that worked across the Skills and Apprenticeships sector for over 20 years within the Department of Education and more recently with VRQA.
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Stuart was a strong supporter of group training especially in the early days and was a regular speaker at member events and conferences.
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The AEN Board, staff and members send our deepest condolences to his family & friends for their loss.
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Victorian Labour Hire Authority
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Many LHA providers would have received a reminder recently to renew their labour hire licence.
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With close to 2000 licences due for renewal between now and June, this will be a busy period for the VLHA Licensing team, so we encourage providers to apply early.
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Once you have all the relevant information, the renewal application usually takes less than 30 minutes, and can be submitted up to six months before a licence expires.
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As well as upgrading the LHLO Portal to streamline renewal applications, there is a new Renewals page with step-by-step instructions to support nominated officers through the process.
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Updates to National Skills Shortage List
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The number of occupations covered by the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List has been expanded from 77 to 111, as part of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System.
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This will increase the number of occupations eligible for additional support, including up to $5,000 in direct payments to apprentices, and a wage subsidy of up to $15,000 for employers.
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Worksafe Victoria Award Finalists Announced
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Nineteen finalists across six categories have been shortlisted for the awards, which are now in their 33rd year.
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The awards recognise those who have made a significant contribution to improving health and safety within a workplace. Winners will be announced at an event at Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom on 23 February, with tickets on sale now.
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Workers from a diverse range of industries are represented in categories that highlight the efforts of health and safety representatives and the resolve of injured workers in returning to work.
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Also among the finalists are organisations that have shown leadership in OHS issues, implemented significant safety solutions, helped injured workers return to employment, and made a commitment to help prevent mental injury in the workplace.
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Industries represented include construction, education, health, maritime, retail, racing and agriculture.
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With more than 120 nominations received, WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said making the shortlist was a significant accomplishment in itself.
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Health and Safety Representative of the Year
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- Adrian Zammit (DP World)
- Michelle Giovas (Monash University)
- Bruce Mahaki (Toll Global Logistics)
- Sheila Narayan (Office of Public Advocate)
- Sean Aherne (InfraBuild)
OHS Leadership/Achievement
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- Renata Musolino (Victorian Trades Hall Council)
- Delta Group
- Goulburn Valley Safety Group
Commitment to Prevention of Mental Injury in the Workplace
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- GlaxoSmithKline
- CDC Victoria
Workplace Health and Safety Solution of the Year
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- Level Crossing Removal Project (Cranbourne line upgrade)
- Synergetics Consulting Engineers (Towards zero exposure)
- Consolidated Plant Services and Banyule City Council (Interlock backhoe mechanism)
- Patrick Terminals Melbourne (Straddle proximity system)
Leading Return to Work Practice
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Worker Return to Work Achievement
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- David Wrout (Grampians Racing)
- Alan Nicholson (GrainCorp)
- Nicole Townsend (East Grampians Health Service)
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Upcoming Victorian Public Holidays
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Monday 13 March - Labour Day
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Friday 7 April - Good Friday Saturday 8 April - Saturday before Easter Sunday Sunday 9 April - Easter Sunday Monday 10 April - Easter Monday Tuesday 25 April - Anzac Day
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NCVER Update
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In-training numbers up 21.6% as at 30 June 2022
A total of 415,240 apprentices and trainees were in-training as at 30 June 2022, an increase of 21.6% from 30 June 2021.
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Non-trade occupations contributed most to the increase in in-training numbers, up by 38.3% or 47,995 when compared with the same time in 2021.
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Clerical and Administrative Workers and Community and Personal Service Workers had the highest absolute increases in the number of apprentices and trainees in-training for non-trade occupations.
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In trade occupations, 241,860 apprentices and trainees were in-training as at 30 June 2022, an increase of 11.8% when compared with the same time in 2021.
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By industry, the largest absolute increases in in-training numbers were in the Construction, Accommodation, and Health care and social assistance sectors.
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VET Employment Outcomes Improve in 2022
VET student outcomes report shows that in 2022, 65.0% of VET qualification completers had an improved employment status after completing their training, up by 4.4 percentage points from 2021.
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Among the qualification completers who were not employed before training, 49.6% got a job after their training (up 6.3 percentage points from 2021).
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For qualification completers employed before training, 17.3% were employed at a higher skill level (up by 0.8 percentage points from 2021) and 37.1% were in a better job (down 1.7 percentage points from 2021) after training.
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Satisfaction with training was similar to that reported in 2021, with 88.9% of qualification completers citing that they were satisfied overall with their VET training.
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Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program
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Since the program commenced in May 2020, a total of 920 participants have been supported to date.
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Apprentices and trainees who have lost employment are encouraged to register.
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Once registered, apprentices and trainees will be assisted by one of our program officers until placed with a host employer through a Group Training Organisation (GTO), or directly with an employer.
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If you have an apprenticeship position you would like to fill, please contact the AEN Office so we can forward potential candidates that meet your criteria.
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Do you want to be kept up to date with everything that’s happening with GAN Australia and the wider VET sector?
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Thanks to our Industry Partners
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