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AEN Newsletter - 22 August 2025
September
Mastering Constructive Feedback
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Privacy in Action: What you need to Know
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Stressing Less, Living More
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This is your final chance to nominate for the 2025 Apprentice Training Awards.
The portal will close tomorrow and we want to ensure you don't miss the chance to recognise the outstanding work of apprentices, trainees, colleagues, RTO's, Host Employers and your organisation.
There will be no further extensions so please ensure all nominations are submitted by the deadline.
Nominations not submitted by the deadline will not be considered.
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A few last-minute points to consider:
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- Don't forget to check if you're eligible to nominate across multiple categories.
- Proof-read your nominations to ensure you have conveyed your message clearly.
- Click SUBMIT on your nomination.
- You can amend submitted nominations until the deadline.
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Nominations close Friday 22 August 2025 at 11.59pm.
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From Monday 25 – Sunday 31 August 2025, is National Skills Week an initiative that elevates the status of skills, vocational pathways, and the wonderful opportunities they create in Australia.
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This year, the theme is Explore All The Options is anchored by three key purpose pillars:
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- Inspire - Showcase VET success stories and challenge perceptions
- Educate – Share knowledge, pathways and opportunities across VET and higher education
- Promote – Shine a spotlight on the importance of VET and purposeful promotion of skills in Australia
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The Skills Guarantee uses the Australian Government’s significant purchasing power to help address skills shortages in the ICT and construction sectors.
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The updated PCP broadens eligible training pathways for ICT projects.
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From 1 October 2025, new national targets for apprentices, trainees, women, and other types of learning workers will apply to eligible Australian Government ICT procurements with an estimated individual value of $10 million or more.
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WorldSkills Australia has announced the 39 rising stars who have been named in its national training squad the first step toward selection for Team Australia, which will compete at the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China, September 22-27, 2026.
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The squad includes high-performing apprentices, trainees and young professionals from every state and territory, who excelled at the recent WorldSkills Australia National Championships in Brisbane, earning medals across 35 different skill categories, ranging from carpentry and plumbing to graphic design, patisserie, cyber security and additive manufacturing.
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Over the coming months, squad members will undertake an intensive training program. Those selected for the final team will represent Australia on the global stage in September 2026, competing against more than 1,400 peers from over 60 countries in the world’s largest skills excellence event.
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The announcement coincides with the launch of National Skills Week, an initiative that champions vocational education and highlights the critical role of skills-based careers in shaping Australia’s future workforce and economy.
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Rapid Child Safety Review
On 2 July 2025, the Victorian Government commissioned an independent Rapid Child Safety Review in response to allegations of child sexual abuse in early childhood, education and care (ECEC) settings with the report and recommendations being released earlier this week.
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The Victorian Government accepts and will implement all 22 recommendations of the Review to strengthen safety standards in early childhood education and care, to keep Victorian children safe.
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WorkSafe Victoria is urging tradies to think of their body as their most important tool and protect it from pain, strain and injury this Tradies National Health Month.
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Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common injury among workers in Victoria’s construction industry, often caused by hazardous manual handling like lifting, carrying and repetitive movement.
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Since January 2023, WorkSafe has accepted more than 3,000 injury claims from construction workers due to hazardous manual handling. Of these, more than 58 per cent affected the musculoskeletal system most commonly resulting in back pain, muscle strains, lumbago and sciatica.
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WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin reminded employers that they were responsible for eliminating or reducing risks associated with hazardous manual handling.
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“Tools can be replaced. Bodies can’t,” Mr Jenkin said. “Musculoskeletal disorders don’t just mean a few days off work – they can lead to chronic pain, long recoveries, reduced quality of life and mental health challenges – which can all be career-ending.”
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“As an employer, it’s your job to protect workers from these devastating consequences.”
Carpenters, plumbers and electricians accounted for the most MSD claims while men aged 30-34 were the most affected age group.
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“Many tradies in their early 30s have already been on the tools for over a decade, but experience doesn’t mean you can push your limits or skip safe practices,” Mr Jenkin said.
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Tips to prevent MSDs from hazardous manual handling on construction sites:
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- Organise off-site manufacturing of wall panels and roof trusses.
- Arrange for bulky materials to be delivered to the final work location.
- Use mechanical load shifting devices such as cranes, forklifts, trolleys or other aids to move heavy or awkward materials around the site.
- Ensure awkward loads that can be moved manually have lifting points or handles.
- Use job rotation to reduce exposure to repetitive tasks or work that requires a significant amount of force.
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Jobs and Skills Australia has released a landmark report on how Generative AI is starting to transform work, skills and the Australian labour market. The Generative AI Capacity Study provides the first whole-of-labour-market view of Gen AI’s potential, impact to date, and what’s needed.
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With generative AI already influencing jobs, training and workplace expectations, the report makes it clear: how well we adapt will determine whether Australia captures the benefits of this pending leap.
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- Gen AI is more likely to augment jobs than replace them.
- AI adoption is early and varies across industries, with many workers using tools independently in their work.
- The impact of AI will vary across occupations, industries, regions and groups of people.
- Ensuring that we have the right skills will be essential.
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The report also highlights the importance of people having the right digital and AI skills for a modern labour market, along with complementary human skills. Australia is at the beginning of an exciting evolution, and we must ensure we bring our people with us, through upskilling, training and capacity building.
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WorkSafe will target five priority industries over the next 12 months to help deliver ambitious goals for reducing workplace deaths and injuries in Victoria.
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The focus sectors of health care and social assistance, construction, government, agriculture and manufacturing have together accounted for almost 60 per cent of all work-related deaths and accepted workplace injury claims in the past five years.
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WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said the new approach was part of a plan to achieve significant five-year targets outlined in the WorkSafe Victoria Strategy including reducing fatalities by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent.
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"The safety of workers in workplaces is our highest priority, so it makes sense that we focus resources on the sectors where the greatest harm is happening and the hazards causing it," Mr Jenkin said.
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"We have carefully identified areas where the rate of injuries or fatalities is highest, relative to the size of the industry, and mapped out a path to enable, motivate, influence and enforce better performance and compliance."
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WorkSafe will continue to use a range of tools to improve safety across priority areas, including targeted visits and assessment programs, as well as education, awareness-building and collaborative initiatives to influence change.
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Recently the 2025 Victorian Training Awards finalists were announced.
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The Victorian Training Awards recognise and honour the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations in the Victorian TAFE and training sector.
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As always, they have received a high calibre of applications this year and are proud to introduce the 2025 finalists.
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Gala ceremony Friday 19 September 2025
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VicGrid has released the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan (VTP) which represents a significant milestone in Victoria’s energy transition under the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF).
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- Proposed renewable energy zones, which are areas identified as most suitable to host new onshore renewable generation and storage
- A proposed renewable energy zone on Gippsland’s shoreline, which is needed to support offshore wind connection assets, and
- Proposed new transmission investments required in the next 15 years to support renewable energy zone development and deliver network security and reliability.
They now plan to deliver the VTP in a way that creates benefits for Victorians and encourages the crucial investment we need to maintain reliable and affordable energy.
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VicGrid is committed to ongoing engagement with communities, industry and Traditional Owners throughout the implementation of the 2025 VTP.
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The next step after the release of the 2025 VTP is to begin the formal renewable energy zone declaration process. There will be 6 weeks of consultation beginning in the coming weeks, which will give industry another opportunity to provide feedback and shape decision-making.
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2025 Events
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We are all familiar with the process of receiving and giving feedback but often lack the tools to make it a graceful, constructive, and positive experience. Feedback can be challenging to deliver, but when handled effectively, it fosters growth and contributes to a positive work environment.
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In this engaging workshop, award-winning facilitator Martin Probst will provide you with the skills to confidently lead feedback conversations while minimising push-backs by establishing a feedback-ready culture. You will leave with powerful feedback techniques designed to promote growth and development in yourself and others.
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Date: Tuesday 2 September 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: Online via Zoom
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In a world where information is constantly shared and accessed, understanding privacy is more important than ever. Join us for an insightful session designed to unpack the principles of privacy and why they matter in both professional and everyday settings.
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Whether you’re handling personal data at work or navigating digital spaces in daily life, this session will provide practical guidance on protecting information, recognising privacy risks, and maintaining confidentiality. Build your awareness, strengthen your confidence, and take proactive steps toward responsible data handling.
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Date: Wednesday 10 September 2025
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: AEN Office (83 Hobsons Road, Kensington)
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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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In this engaging workshop, leadership expert Martin Probst will equip you with practical tools to embed human-centred leadership within your organisation.
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Date: Tuesday 7 October 2025
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Delivery: Online via Zoom
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Since the program commenced in May 2020, a total of 1,343 participants have been supported to date, with 82% being male and 18% female.
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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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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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