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AEN Newsletter - 7 February 2025
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Apprenticeship Employment Network & TAFE Gippsland Workshop
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AEN Annual Apprenticeship Luncheon
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Drugs, Alcohol & Workplace Risks Workshop
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QA Standards & OHS Network Meeting
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The Labour Hire Authority announced it will have increased powers to address unlawful conduct in Victoria’s construction industry, following a government review.
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The Victorian Government has announced that the Labour Hire Authority’s (LHA) regulatory powers will be strengthened to further address unlawful conduct in the construction industry.
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The announcement came in response to the Formal Review into the Victorian Government Bodies’ Engagement with Construction Companies and Construction Unions.
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The Government committed to support all recommendations either in principle or in full. In summary, this includes legislative changes to:
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- Add circumstances in which a person may not be a ‘fit and proper person’ to operate a labour hire business, including where a close associate is not fit and proper
- Specifically define work activities related to construction that will be considered labour hire to make it clearer which businesses require a licence and to enhance LHA’s capacity to regulate the construction industry
- Strengthen LHA’s powers to request information to support compliance monitoring
- Broaden LHA’s ability to publish contextual information around licensing actions such as the circumstances that led to a licence cancellation to promote compliance with the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic) and educate labour hire providers and hosts.
The Review’s recommendations will be reviewed after two years.
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Labour hire in construction
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The construction industry is the fourth largest employer in Victoria and contributes to the development of essential transport infrastructure, as well as industrial, commercial and residential buildings.
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Labour hire has been a significant feature of the construction industry for decades, and businesses that supply labour hire workers to construction sites must comply with their legal obligations under the Act.
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LHA has taken a range of actions against labour hire providers in Victoria’s construction industry to date, including as of November 2024:
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- refusing 32 license applications
- cancelling 115 licenses
- prosecuting unlawful behavior
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The Government awarded the $22.1 million grant to the Swinburne and its consortium partners to establish the Centre of Excellence.
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The consortium includes representatives from peak disability and capacity building organisations, including Inclusion Australia, Family Advocacy, Disability Employment Australia, National Disability Services and the University of Melbourne.
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The Centre of Excellence to start in March 2025. A dedicated online hub will be available by September 2025.
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The Centre of Excellence will collect, translate, and share information related to disability employment. It will create resources based on research and evidence of what works. It will also bring together existing national and international resources.
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The information gathered by the Centre of Excellence will ensure more effective disability employment reforms. It will support the new specialist disability employment program from 1 July 2025.
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The Centre of Excellence aims to improve the quality of services delivered by:
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- providers of the new specialist disability employment program
- Workforce Australia
- Community Development Program (CDP)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- supported employment, including Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs).
The Centre of Excellence will improve disability outcomes by ensuring providers have:
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- stronger disability awareness to improve support for participants
- knowledge of evidence-based models and approaches
- understanding of customised employment, job coaching and career planning
- improved understanding of employer needs
- skills and knowledge to help employers hire and support employees with disability.
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Over the next few weeks, Converge International (the provider) will be hosting EAP information sessions for employers and apprenticeship service providers.
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The 45-minute online sessions will share information on the support provided by the EAP program and how apprentices can access the service.
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Australian Skills Quality Authority is developing Practice Guides to support providers’ understanding of our regulatory expectations against the revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
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Australian Skills Quality Authority Practice Guides are aligned to the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relation's (DEWR) Outcome Standards Policy Guidance, and these resources should be read together.
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Jobs and Skills Australia recently released a report An Essential Ingredient: The Food Supply Chain Workforce, that provides insights on food security while addressing workforce needs.
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The report includes actionable recommendations that aim to build resilience and ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability.
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The recommendations are across eight key themes:
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- improve the relevance and delivery of tertiary education and training
- invest in substantial veterinary and biosecurity workforce pathways
- combat worker exploitation and ensure migration continues to support regional Australia
- harness opportunities within the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme
- improve labour hire practices, enforcement and information
- support apprenticeships and traineeships
- facilitate better planning of the food supply chain workforce; and
- address barriers in regional, rural and remote Australia.
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The Victorian Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
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Victorian workplaces have a big role to play towards our wellbeing. In 2021-2022 in Victoria, more than 4000 claims received by WorkSafe Victoria were for mental injuries.
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We need to support industries, workplaces, leaders, supervisors, managers and workers to promote, protect and respond to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
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This Victorian Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework (‘the Framework’) has been developed in response to the Victorian Government committing to implementing all recommendations of the Royal Commission, part of which involves delivering a state-wide framework to support mentally healthy workplaces.
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Work is underway to support mentally healthy workplaces in Victoria. This includes changes to Occupational Health and Safety regulations to better address risks to the psychological health of workers.
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WorkSafe Victoria provides workplaces with tools, templates, and resources to address work-related factors that impact mental health and promote good practice.
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The Labour Hire Authority has announced its 2025 program of engagement activities, featuring in-person and online information sessions, exhibiting at expos and other activities across Victoria.
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The engagement activities planned across 2025 include separate sessions for new and established providers, and sessions tailored for specific industries.
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Key topics of these sessions include:
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- business obligations under Victorian labour hire law
- current focus of labour hire licensing, compliance and enforcement
- tools and resources to support business
- questions and answers.
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The 2025 Skills Conference is held in Sydney on Tuesday, 24th June 2025.
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Hosted by the Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT, this annual event dives into key topics around apprenticeships and traineeships for 2025.
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If you are a member of AEN in Victoria you can access exclusive AEN member rates for the conference.
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Use the code AEN2025 during registration. Don’t wait! This offer is available for a limited time!
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The misuse of alcohol and drugs has a significant negative impact on Australian business. It is a work health and safety matter demanding attention of both workers and management.
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Date: Thursday 20 February 2025
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: In Person ONLY
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Driving organisational performance requires more than just meeting targets – it’s about cultivating a human-centred culture that positively influences every aspect of the organisation. From reputation and customer service to employee motivation and retention, culture is a key driver of success. Strong leadership, rooted in self-awareness, empathy, and accountability, is essential to build a sustainable environment of trust and collaboration.
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Date: Tuesday 25 March 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: In Person ONLY
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Many of us struggle with public speaking or addressing even small groups. However, the ability to assertively communicate and maintain professional credibility can significantly influence our success. Overcoming nerves, connecting with the audience, and delivering a message with confidence are essential skills in today’s professional environment.
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Date: Wednesday 30 April 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: In Person ONLY
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Head on over to GAN Australia and subscribe to the newsletter 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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