Apprenticeship Employment Network

AE News Volume 14, Issue 31

Friday, 13th August 2021
Hi Reader!

Upcoming Events

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7 Sept - Inspiration in Leadership
15 Sept - IR & FC Network Meeting
21 Sept - Mental Health at Work in a COVID World
6 & 7 Oct - Youth Mental Health First Aid (Accredited)

COVID-19 Updates

Lockdown Restrictions Lift in Regional Victoria

Following advice from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, the lockdown in regional Victoria lifted from midnight on Monday 9 August.

There have been no new coronavirus cases in regional Victoria and thousands of primary close contacts have been cleared from the regions over the last few weeks.

The Chief Health Officer has advised that the five reasons to leave the home was removed in regional Victoria and there will be no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home. However, people will only be able to travel to Melbourne for a permitted reason and you must follow the Melbourne restrictions once there.

Importantly, private gatherings in the home are still not permitted, however, outdoor gatherings in public spaces can occur with up to 10 people. Face masks will also still be mandatory indoors and outdoors.

Food and hospitality will open for seated service only, a density requirement of 1 person per 4sqm will apply, with a maximum of 100 people per venue. Venues smaller than 100sqm can have up to 25 people before density requirements apply.

Extended Melbourne Lockdown

Due to the current level of community transmission of coronavirus in Victoria from the recent New South Wales (NSW) incursions, the current lockdown across Melbourne will be extended for another seven days.


Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has declared that the current restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne will remain in place until at least 11:59pm, Thursday 19 August.

For the next seven days, you can still only leave home for five reasons: to get the food and the supplies you need, for exercise for up to two hours, for care or caregiving, permitted work or education if you can’t do it from home, or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.

For further details, please visit Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Victoria's restriction levels.

COVID-19 Border Restrictions between Victoria and NSW

Residents of cross-border communities will now be required to obtain a cross border extreme risk zone permit to cross the border between Victoria and NSW from 6pm on Friday 13 August.


The reasons cross-border community residents can cross the Victorian-NSW border still include:
  • Necessary goods and services, including medical care
  • Care or other compassionate reasons
  • Work (whether paid or voluntary, including for charitable or religious purposes)
  • Education (including childcare or early childhood services and higher education and training)
  • Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination
  • Organised/community sport and exercise connected to or organised by a club or facility.
Residents will be able to apply for a permit from Thursday 12 August at Service Victoria and via the Service Victoria app.

For further details, please visit Information for cross-border communities.

AEN Virtual Professional Development Series

The Field Officers’ Conference has been replaced with a series of virtual professional development courses which is open to all AEN members over the months of September and October 2021.
virtual training 4
Course

Inspiration in Leadership
Date/Time

7 September
10.00am – 12.00pm
Cost (incl. GST)

Member: $55
Non-Member: $110
Registrations close: 31 Aug
Mental Health at Work in a COVID-19 World
21 September
10.00am – 12.00pm
Member: $55
Non-Member: $110
Registrations close: 14 Sept
Youth Mental Health First Aid (Accredited)
Self-paced interactive eLearning (7 hours) –completed before 6 October

Instructor-led delivered virtual workshops on 6 & 7 October, 9.30am – 1.00pm both days
Member: $242
Non-Member: $292
Registrations close: 31 Aug
For further information on course content and to register, please go to AEN events page and select the course of interest.

AEN Members: Login to Member's area prior to purchasing tickets to access the member rate.

Enquiries: Anna Bejanoff, admin@aen.org.au or 03 9639 3955.

New Victorian Skills Authority website

As recently announced, Craig Robertson will lead the VSA as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer, and the Advisory Board (to be appointed) will be accountable to the Minister for Training and Skills to bring together industry, unions, TAFEs, other training providers, and communities to create an improved skills system. DET staff are currently moving across to the new VSA. VSA staff will move to new premises later in the year. Until then, the VSA offices will be based at 2 Treasury Place.

Working independently alongside the department, the VSA will play a critical role in identifying and solving local and industry skills issues.

The VSA has four key roles:
  1. To use data and insights to better plan for the future training needs of Victoria’s economy and provide informed advice to Government.
  2. To solve local and industry skills issues by unblocking and unlocking training where it is needed.
  3. To lead an integrated approach to building the quality of teaching and training.
  4. To drive innovation across the skills sector.
A key function of the new Authority will be the development of an annual Victorian Skills Plan, which will provide a comprehensive forecast of workforce trends and challenges to inform decisions about training provision.

Through the annual Victorian Skills Plan, the VSA will provide a comprehensive forecast of workforce trends and challenges to inform decisions about training provision and advise government on how to unblock and unlock training. It will bring an integrated approach to building the quality of teaching and training and drive innovation across the skills sector. It will also play a critical role in supporting economic recovery and development across the State.

The new VSA website is now live at Victorian Skills Authority.

Call Out for Young Leaders to Advise Government

Minister for Youth Ros Spence this week announced that the Victorian Government is seeking young people from 12-25 who are keen to make their voices heard on issues that matter to young Victorians.

The Victorian Youth Congress is the Minister for Youth’s advisory group of young people who work with government to put young people’s ideas and experiences at the centre of government decision-making.
Personal perspective of teenagers taking a selfie
The 2022 Victorian Youth Congress provides an exciting opportunity for young people to get involved in the implementation of Victoria’s new youth strategy, due to be released later in 2021.

The new youth strategy is being developed following extensive consultation with young people, including the current Victorian Youth Congress and youth sector. It will set a long-term vision to make Victoria the best place to be for all young people.

Young people from diverse backgrounds and ages, and from across both regional Victoria and Melbourne, are encouraged to apply to be part of the 2022 Victorian Youth Congress and represent their communities.

Applicants do not need previous experience working with government. Successful applicants will gain valuable insight into how government works, how policies are made and what you can do to influence the process.

Members of the Victorian Youth Congress are provided with opportunities and supports to develop leadership and teamwork skills and try a range of new experiences.

Applications are open from 9 August to 13 September. To apply or for more information, visit Youth Central - Victorian Youth Congress.

National Skills Week: 23-29 August

National skills week
Now moving into its eleventh year, National Skills Week 2021 is inviting Australians to 'RETHINK' their ideas of what vocational education and training (VET) is all about and the role it can have in preparing people for the future of work, especially in a post-pandemic economy.

This comes with the 2021 Federal Budget that emphasises the necessity for training in high demand sectors as well as new careers as the Australian Government and State Governments attempt to drive down unemployment and rebuild the economy.
Held annually, the vision of National Skills Week is to raise awareness on the diversity of careers which can be realised through vocational education and training, the skills for an economically viable future, and the incredible range of new jobs and skills in demand for the future.

For further information, please visit National Skills Week.

New Zealand Skills Forum Online Webinar: 8-9 September

NZ webinar forum
Skills Consulting Group and Ako Aotearoa have partnered to bring this year’s New Zealand Vocational Education and Training Research Forum (NZVETRF) to life online: Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th September 2021​ (12.30pm - 5pm each day).

In its 17th year, NZVETRF is the forum where experts discuss critical issues, share research, present evidence and inform policy makers about ‘what works’ in vocational education.

This year’s Forum will center around the theme: A journey through change. The speakers and sessions will explore and discuss the Reform of Vocational Education (ROVE), the impact of COVID-19 and many other turning points from the past 12 months.

Similar to 2020, NZVETRF 2021 will be held in a state-of-the-art virtual environment, which looks just like a real-life conference and lets participants pick and choose the speakers they want to listen to – as well as network in breakout sessions and networking lounges, with people from across the industry.​

For further details and to register, please visit NZ VET Research Forum 2021.

August is Tradie Health Month!

tradie health month
Now more than ever, workers' physical and mental safety should be top of mind.

Get the right tools for the job by taking advantage of free WorkSafe programs designed to help small and medium businesses build physically and mentally safe workplaces.

The tools available for trade based industries include:
  • Workwell Toolkit - For creating a mentally healthy workplace
  • OHS Essentials Program - For free and confidential safety advice from an OHS consultant
  • Advice to Prevent Physical Injury - To reduce injuries in your workplace.

For further information, please visit WorkSafe - Supporting Leaders in Trade Based Industries.

Victorian Training Awards Gala: 16 October

Gala_Awards_ESIG_2021
Celebrating its 67th year, the prestigious Victorian Training Awards brings together apprentices, trainees, students, teachers, training providers, employers, and industry representatives, sharing in a high-quality training system that meets the needs of all Victorians.

There has been an excellent response to nominations for the Victorian Training Awards. The judging process is currently taking place and the finalists will be introduced in August.

SAVE THE DATE for the Victorian Training Awards Gala: Saturday 16 October at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

NCVER Update - International Youth Day


International Youth Day is celebrated each year on 12 August. This year's theme is Transforming food systems: youth innovation for human and planetary health. Issues highlighted by young participants include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in relation to its effect on human health, the environment, and food systems.

Learn more about how young Australians fare when it comes to their general health, exercise and satisfaction with life with data sourced from the long-running LSAY survey program. Here's some interesting data from the 2020 interviews with 20-year-olds.
  • 84% assessed their general health to be good to excellent
  • 41% of males and 30% of females exercised more than 3 times a week
  • Close to 3 in 4 were satisfied with their life overall.

The LSAY 2020 data is scheduled for release over the coming weeks. If you are interested to learn more, subscribe to the LSAY email alert service to receive news on the latest LSAY data releases and publications.

Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program

Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program Logo
Out of Trade Banner
This program has now supported 822 participants since May 2020, and 326 apprentices and trainees have commenced with a new employer.

Currently, there are 48 participants on our active caseload.
Top 6 Occupations
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Carpentry
  • Hair & Beauty
  • Chefs
  • General Mechanic
For Individuals
Apprentices and trainees who have lost employment are encouraged to register.

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.
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.

For further information or to register for the program please visit Apprenticeship Employment Network.
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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?

Head on over to GAN Australia and subscribe now.

Thanks to our Industry Partners

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