Apprenticeship Employment Network

AE News Volume 11, Issue 33

Friday, 14th September 2018
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Upcoming Events

18 Sept - GTO Managers Network Meeting
25 Sept - RTO Workshop
2 Oct - Emotional Intelligence Workshop
Click here for all upcoming events.

Skilling: A National Imperative – New Report Reveals Major Skill Gaps

A new report released earlier this week by the Australian Industry Group has identified critical skill issues facing Australian businesses with 75 per cent of employers reporting skill shortages and 99 per cent are impacted by low levels of literacy and numeracy.

These significant findings from the Australian Industry Group's 2018 Workforce Development Needs Survey Report come at a time when digital technologies are increasingly disrupting workplace environments, and when education and training is being recognised as one of the most important enablers for successful, future-focused companies.

"It is clear we need new approaches to education, training and re-skilling to maximise the benefits of the digital economy. This is particularly important as employers reshape workforce capabilities and seek higher level skills, advanced technical and soft skills, digital literacy and changed management know-how," Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox, said today.

Mr Willox stressed, "Our survey has found major skills demand issues facing employers. It provides an important gauge of employer sentiment around skill needs, education and training at a critical time for industry transformation.

"Without conducive policy settings and closer collaboration between industry and education sectors to drive education and training that adapts quickly to the needs of the digital economy, Australia's business sector will suffer competitively into the future," Mr Willox said.

The survey found clear pressure points affecting employers:

  • Skills shortages: 75 per cent of respondents reported skills shortages, a jump from 49 per cent in the previous survey conducted in 2016. Shortages are most often in the technician and trades worker category, with difficulties recruiting for STEM skills, and new shortages for roles in business automation, Big Data and artificial intelligence solutions.
  • Literacy and Numeracy: 99 per cent of employers (up from 96 per cent in 2016) are affected in some way by low levels of literacy and numeracy in their workforce. This is disturbing at a time when the workforce increasingly requires foundation skills that include not only literacy and numeracy but digital literacy and advanced soft skills.
  • Leadership and Management: employers are prioritising technology capability improvements for managers, 62 per cent of whom believe a lack of leadership and management skills is having a high impact on the business (up from 56 per cent in 2016). This reflects the major changes needed in the way work is done and managed as entire business processes and organisational cultures are upended in the digital economy.

    The survey showed employers are intensifying their actions to implement strategies that alleviate some of these pressures. A greater percentage of employers than previous years (52 per cent) intend to increase expenditure on training in 2018. They are recognising in the age of digitalisation all workers will need digital skills at various levels.

    Employers report a significant increase in their internal company training and support from supervisors and mentors to boost literacy and numeracy skills. They have increased their engagement of apprentices/trainees and have steadily increased their links with education and training sectors – a vital strategy in the faster moving economy.

    The report can be accessed here: Skilling: A National Imperative Report.

Victorian Health and Safety Month

Worksafe Safety Month 2018
Victoria’s premier month-long Health & Safety Month festival is on again this October.

WorkSafe is excited to bring you the latest in workplace health and safety.

With more than 60 free seminars and guest speakers made up of industry experts, get the latest on emerging issues and trends in the sector including:
  • How to build positive mental health in the workplace
  • Return to work processes
  • Explanation of the new OHS regulations
  • Occupational violence and aggression
  • What an inspector looks for
  • WorkSafe’s new WorkWell program

Register today!

Health & Safety month events are free, but registration is essential to find out further information please visit WorkSafe Victoria.

R U OK? Day

Now in its 10th year, suicide prevention charity R U OK? wants to reinforce that every day is R U OK?Day, not just its national day of action held each year in September.

R U OK?Day was launched in 2009 by founder and adman Gavin Larkin who tragically lost his father to suicide in 1995. Larkin (who died of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2011) wanted to spare other families the grief his own endured. A spark of an idea has since become a national movement aimed at encouraging friends, families, loved ones and workmates to ask the question of anyone they are worried about, in a genuine and meaningful way.

Celebrating R U OK?’s 10th national day of action, R U OK?Day was held at Walumil Lawns at Barangaroo in Sydney on Thursday, 13 September, kicking off at 7.30am. It was a public event encouraging pople to join the R U OK? team.

To view the video please click here and for more information, please visit R U OK?

NECA Education & Careers Launches Free Pre-Apprenticeship From October 2018

Don’t wait for TAFE, NECA Education & Careers launches free* Pre-apprenticeship from October 2018

Complete your electrical pre-apprenticeship with an industry owned and operated provider with state-of-the-art facilities and the opportunity to get practical experience before going on site.

With completion rates up to and including 100% NECA Education & Careers wanted to continue making the industry-leading program accessible to students. For this reason tuition for the pre-apprenticeship will be free for eligible applicants starting from 1 October 2018.

At the heart of the NECA Education & Careers pre-apprenticeship is the Bright Spark program, which gives students the opportunity to complete a simulated work project in our workshop.

“The whole program was really enjoyable, great to get hands on with the tools and use all the aspects of the theory we learned in a practical situation,” said Liam Stubbs, Bright Spark graduate and current NECA Education & Careers Apprentice.

“It was great. I had to think about the whole job, from start to finish. Learning lots of little things, like workmanship, and different types of methods.” – Samuel Bramwell, Bright Spark graduate.

Successful completion of the pre-apprenticeship will result in a Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) UEE22011 and the hands-on learning experience is the best preparation for an electrical apprenticeship.

For full details and to learn more about pre-apprenticeship and the eligibility criteria please visit NECA Education & Careers.

AEN Awards - Nominatons Close 28 September

Nominations for the 2018 AEN Annual Awards opened on the 1 August.

Each year AEN presents a number of awards to recognise the great work apprentices, trainees, GTOs and their staff do across the State.

Awards include:
  • ATO Best Victorian Apprentice and Trainee Award
  • Outstanding OH&S Initiative Award
  • GTO Service Excellence Award
  • OH&S STAR Award
  • GTO Industry Service Awards
  • AEN Lifetime Achievement Awards
The awards will be presented at the AEN annual dinner on Thursday 22 November.

Tickets will be available shortly.

Hurry! Nominations close 28 September.

To access all the nomination forms and further details please visit the AEN website.

National Training Awards

national training awards
Real Skills for Real Careers Logo
Commencing in 1994, the Australian Training Awards are the peak, national awards for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, recognising individuals, businesses and registered training organisations for their contribution to skilling Australia.

The majority of the Awards are the culmination of the state and territory training awards with winners from each state and territory eligible to compete at the national level in aligned categories. Through showcasing best practice the Awards' Real Stories Real Achievements video series, promote continuous improvement and innovation in the design and delivery of VET which has led to national and international awareness and respect for Australia's VET sector and skilled-based careers.

The Awards are held annually in November in a different state or territory. This year's Australian Training Awards will be held in Sydney on Thursday 15 November.

To find out further information please visit the Australian Training Awards website.

Thanks to our Industry Partners

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