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AE News Volume 14, Issue 39
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Upcoming Events
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20 Oct - Inspiration in Leadership 27 Oct - Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training
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10 Nov - OHS Network Meeting
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25 Nov - Annual General Meeting
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Vaccination Requirements for Authorised Workers and Providers
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On Friday 1 October, the Victorian Chief Health Officer determined that vaccination will be a requirement of Authorised Workers in regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne.
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All Authorised Workers will be required to have a first dose COVID-19 vaccine by 15 October 2021 to continue working onsite. The Authorised Provider and Worker (APAW) list defines the Authorised Workers in higher education, TAFE, training and adult education allowed onsite.
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All Authorised Workers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 26 November 2021 to work onsite. Staff will be required to show evidence of their vaccination status or medical exemption to their employer.
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These requirements will also apply to authorised apprentices, trainees and students undertaking work placements or attending campus in accordance with the APAW list.
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For further information on current restrictions, visit COVID Victoria.
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COVID-19 Disaster Payments
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The Australian Government has announced changes to the COVID-19 Disaster Payments when a state or territory reaches certain vaccination rates.
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70% vaccination rates – double dose vaccination
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Automatic payments will stop when a state or territory reaches 70% double dose vaccination rates for people 16 years or older. If a person’s income is still affected by movement restrictions, they will need to reapply for the payment each week to remain eligible for this payment.
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80% vaccination rates– double dose vaccination
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The first week after a state or territory reaches 80% double dose vaccination rates, COVID-19 Disaster Payment will reduce to:
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- $450 for those not in receipt of an eligible Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) payment
- $100 for those in receipt an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment.
The second week after a state or territory reaches 80% double dose vaccination rates, COVID-19 Disaster Payment will:
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- reduce to $320 if they are not in receipt an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment
- end if they are in receipt an eligible Centrelink or DVA payment.
After this period, there will be no more applications for COVID-19 Disaster Payments even if your area is affected by movement restrictions.
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This information is also available through the Services Australia website in the form of translated factsheets in 59 languages. Please visit, Services Australia.
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Building Rewarding Trades Careers for Women
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The Victorian Government’s new 'Women in Apprenticeships' fund will remove barriers faced by women wanting to start a rewarding career in traditionally male-dominated trades like plumbing, electrical and aviation, and will be overseen by Apprenticeships Victoria (AV).
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Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney on Friday last week launched the first 10 initiatives under the $5 million fund, which will support 615 women into pre-apprenticeships, traineeships and apprenticeships and create a pipeline of skilled workers to help build Victoria’s future.
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They include ‘Women in Electrical’ delivering 30 pre-apprenticeships, ‘Women in Aviation Apprenticeships’ run by Boeing Aerostructures to support more women into aeroskills and engineering, and the ‘Women on Track’ program that will help women facing financial difficulties into the rail industry.
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Other initiatives include ‘try-a-trade’ days, wage support, peer support and mentorships, pathways for school leavers into the fire protection industry, online sessions connecting women with apprenticeships and traineeships, electrical, engineering and automotive apprenticeships, ICT traineeships and other pre-apprenticeship programs.
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More than 19 per cent of expressions of interest in the Big Build Apprenticeships program have been submitted by women, giving them the chance to work on some of the state’s biggest infrastructure projects including the North East Link and Warrnambool Learning and Library Hub.
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The outcomes of 'Women in Apprenticeships' will be evaluated by AV in partnership with Melbourne University – and interested women are encouraged to explore the programs at Apprenticeships Victoria.
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AEN is proud to be delivering a project under this new funding. AEN is seeking interested GTOs and TAFEs to partner with to deliver the Multi Industry Pre-Apprenticeship Program in 2022 to 120 women looking for an apprenticeship within the construction sector. For further details on the AEN project, please visit Women in Trades – Multi Industry Pre-Apprenticeship Support Project.
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AEN & GAN Awards Nominations - Closing Date Extended to 22 October 2021
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Nominations can be made in the following categories:
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- Apprentice of the Year
- Trainee of the Year
- Inspiration Award: Indigenous Student of the Year
- Inspiration Award: Overcoming Adversity
- Inspiration Award: Women in Trades
- School-based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
- STAR (Stop Taking a Risk) Award
- Disability Achievement Award
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- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Fellowship
- GTO Service Excellence Awards
- GTO Industry Service Awards
- Outstanding OHS Initiative
- GAN International Apprentice Scholarship
- GAN National Youth Initiative Award
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If you know someone who deserves recognition, nominate them here.
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Awards Dinner presentation event
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The venue for 2021 Awards Dinner is The Pavilion, Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. More details to follow.
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Enquiries: Anna Bejanoff, admin@aen.org.au or 03 9639 3955.
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AEN Professional Development - October 2021
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There are still places available!
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‘Inspiration in Leadership’ is being repeated for those who missed out on participating in September. Training on ‘Indigenous Cultural Awareness’ has been added.
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Inspiration in Leadership
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Members: $55 Non-Members: $110
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Registrations close: 15 Oct
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Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training
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10.00am – 12.15pm 1.00 – 3.30pm
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Registrations close: 22 Oct
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For information on course content and to register, please go to AEN Events and select the course of interest.
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AEN Members: Login to Member's area prior to purchasing tickets to access the member rate.
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Enquiries: Anna Bejanoff, admin@aen.org.au or 03 9639 3955.
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Victorian Training Awards: Saturday 16 October
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There is only just over one week remaining until the 2021 Victorian Training Awards Virtual Gala!
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The gala will be live and hosted in a studio, with finalists joining on screen for the announcement of each award winner.
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DET is encouraging everyone to get dressed up and share photos of their red carpet look by using the #VTA2021 hashtag on social media.
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Registrations for the event are FREE and are open on Eventbrite.
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Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025
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Building on the strong foundation of the first strategy, the Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025 launched this week aims to grow the social enterprise sector, strengthen its connectivity, and unlock the potential to create more jobs and deliver enhanced economic and social value to the Victorian community.
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Social enterprises make a valuable impact on the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of all Victorians, and the Strategy will enable them to continue supporting Victorian communities, especially focusing on people with barriers to inclusion, such as young people, women, Aboriginal Victorians, and people with disabilities.
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A range of actions in the Strategy will be delivered across four key thematic areas:
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- Building business skills and capability and capturing impact
- Enhancing recognition and access to innovative financing to scale impact
- Fostering a connected and innovative social enterprise ecosystem across Victoria
- Opening doors for social enterprises across government.
Implementing these themes and supporting actions will enhance the capability of social enterprises and provide greater opportunities for them to contribute to a more socially and economically inclusive Victoria.
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Supporting Events for Young Victorians
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The Victorian Government is providing a significant funding boost for youth programs, offering more opportunities for young people to reconnect with their community as pandemic restrictions ease.
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Minister for Youth Ros Spence this week announced $15 million over three years for the Engage! Program, providing opportunities for skill development and leadership, and $10.2 million for creative youth-led events through FReeZA – a considerable increase on previous years.
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Grant applications are open now for community organisations and local governments to deliver youth-led events and programs that harness the potential of Victorians aged 12 to 25.
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The programs build on extensive consultation with young people and the youth sector across the state over the past 12 months to inform the upcoming Victorian youth strategy.
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Engage! grants are available for organisations to co-design and deliver a broad range of activities with young people including mentoring, building life skills and showcasing creativity and talents.
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FReeZA grants support the delivery of youth-friendly live events across the state in environments that are drug, alcohol and smoke-free.
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To find out more about Engage! and apply, please visit Youth Central.
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Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarships
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The Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarships (RRES) program was announced in 2016 as part of the Australian Government’s election commitment to improve access, educational opportunities and attainment for regional and remote Australians by supporting undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational education and training students from Certificate IV to PhD level.
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Scholarships support flexible study arrangements, and are available to eligible students:
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- commencing a new course of study in 2022
- studying on campus, online or via distance education
- studying from six months full-time up to eight years part-time.
Eligible students may receive up to $18,000 each (e.g. for a full-time, four-year qualification). Shorter, part-time qualifications are paid on a pro rata basis. An extra $500 is also available to support an internship.
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VCCI – Apprentice Mental Health Workshops
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Apprentices are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health, as Australian data on the higher prevalence of mental illness in young people clearly demonstrates.
Supporting apprentices who may be struggling as well as managing mental health risks in the workplace are positive things you can focus on to ensure good outcomes for both your apprentices and your business.
If you employ apprentices and want to improve mental health in your workplace, join one of VCCI's FREE interactive workshops where they will talk through the issues that matter most to both senior leaders and frontline managers. Two dates are available:
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- 9 November 1:00pm - 4:30pm
- 9 December 9:00am - 12:30pm
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October is Health and Safety Month!
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The Importance of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to Businesses
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HSRs can make a real difference in achieving better health and safety outcomes in workplaces. In addition to understanding the legislative and regulatory responsibilities in regards to consulting with staff, businesses can also find out the economic benefits of engaging effectively with their HSRs.
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- When: Friday 29 October 2021
- Where: The webinar link will be provided via email 1 week prior to the event.
- Time: 12.00 pm - 12.45 am
To register for the HSR webinar, please visit Eventbrite.
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To find out further information on the full list of webinars in October and to register, please visit Events - WorkSafe.
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Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program
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This program has now supported 829 participants since May 2020, and 345 apprentices and trainees have commenced with a new employer.
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Currently, there are 40 participants on our active caseload:
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- Electrical - 19
- Plumbing - 6
- Carpentry - 6
- Other trades - 9
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Apprentices and trainees who have lost employment are encouraged to register.
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Once on the register, 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, whilst also directing you to the most appropriate advice and assistance while you remain out of employment.
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If you have an apprenticeship or traineeship 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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