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AEN Newsletter - 9th February 2024
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OHS & QA Standards Network Meeting
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AEN Annual Apprenticeship Luncheon
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AEN will be hosting their Annual Apprenticeship Luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel.
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Hear from industry leaders and join the conversation on how apprenticeships and traineeships are being utilised as a solution to youth unemployment as well as meeting future employer workforce needs.
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Date: Monday 19th February
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Venue: Sheraton Hotel, 27 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
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Registrations close on Monday 12th February.
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The prestigious Victorian Training Awards will celebrate their 70th anniversary in 2024.
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The awards bring 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.
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AEN & GAN Australia are again proud to be the awards principal partner.
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We encourage all of our recent Apprentice Training Award finalists and winners to enter.
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Nominations close Friday, 12 April, at 11.59pm.
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Worksafe Victoria are currently running a campaign to promote greater safety for young and inexperienced workers - Young Workers (aged 15-24 years old) and apprentices are often one of the most vulnerable cohorts in workplaces.
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They have the highest chance of being injured in the first six months of starting a new job, due to their lack of experience and being new to the role.
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As an employer you are responsible for ensuring that your young workers receive the induction, training and information they need to work safely.
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Young workers bring a range of benefits to workplaces, including:
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- Innovation and creativity
- New skills and optimism
- Future talent and protection against skill gaps
Young workers are also more likely to be injured because they are often new to a job and may be inexperienced.
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Did you know young workers have the highest chance of being injured in the first 6 months of starting a new job?
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Young workers are a diverse group of people who may react and behave differently to more experienced employees in the same situations.
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They often look to peers to reassure them and are less likely to ask questions for fear of negative consequences. This is where you can help them.
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Understanding the unique risks to young workers is important to help them stay safe at work.
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‘No Frills’ is a well-known annual national conference and a key part of NCVER’s engagement with the VET sector.
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It is an opportunity to showcase research to VET practitioners and build the capacity of researchers.
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It provides participants with a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and a chance to be part of an event that encourages thought-provoking presentations and networking opportunities in a relaxed and friendly environment.
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#NoFrills2024 will be co-hosted with North Metropolitan TAFE in Perth, Western Australia, from Wednesday 10 - Friday 12 July.
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The conference theme is VET partnerships powering a dynamic workforce. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including skilling workers in priority areas, mastering technology to skill for the future, accelerating pathways through VET and more.
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NCVER continue to invite abstract submissions from all areas of the VET sector, spanning industry, government, practitioners, peak bodies and researchers.
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Submissions close on 8 March 2024.
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phone 08 8230 8451 to find out how you can elevate your brand presence and solidify industry relationships.
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For more information on ‘No Frills’ 2024 including abstract guidelines, sponsorship opportunities and more can be viewed on the NCVER Portal.
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National Apprenticeship Week Australia
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According to NAWA, the week is "all about promoting the value of Australian Apprenticeships to employers, job seekers, industry and government".
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NCVER recognises the vital role that apprentices play in Australia’s workforce and economy. We want to #giveashout to all apprentices and we wish them all the best as they continue on their chosen pathways.
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Did you know that there were 377 715 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 30 June 2023?
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And that in the 12 months ending 30 June 2023, there were 166 375 commencements and 101 580 completions.
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The National Apprenticeship Week website offers plenty of inspiration for how organisations can get involved through social media, and via the “Give a Shout” campaign activation.
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For further context, below are the six strategic objectives that guide the NAWA campaign narrative and its impact:
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NAWA Strategic Objectives
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- Advance the prominence and positioning of Australian Apprenticeships as an attractive and equal tertiary education pathway.
- Keep Australian Apprenticeships on the national agenda to secure continued industry and government support.
- Showcase the employers investing in, and benefitting from, apprenticeships in their workplace.
- Foster creative and critical thinking about how Australian Apprenticeships look now and into the future.
- Create greater awareness about apprenticeship and traineeship careers by busting myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes.
- Inspire the next generation to take up an Australian Apprenticeship.
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The 2024 Kangan Industry Excellence Awards took place at the Melbourne showgrounds on Thursday.
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Celebrating over 80 students and apprentices for their remarkable achievements.
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WPC Group, NextGen Jobs, GForce Employment + Recruitment, and CVGT Employment were acknowledged for their apprentices across different categories.
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AEN proudly sponsored two award categories, including Inspirational Student of the Year.
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Inspirational Student of the Year
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Congratulations to Kangan Institute and all the finalists and winners.
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National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment
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The Australian Government has put into the Australian Parliament legislation that strengthens it powers to ban the creation of new Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), to cancel a registration or to refuse an expansion of scope.
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The Australian Government has stated that the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No.1) Bill 2024 (Cth) creates the necessary regulatory tools to take swift action to address integrity risks posed by what it has called non-genuine RTOs.
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The key amendments in the Bill will:
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- Cause an RTO’s registration to automatically lapse where the RTO has not delivered training and/or assessment for 12 months. This addresses integrity risks of dormant/”shell” RTOs failing to show genuine commitment to VET;
- Prevent RTOs from expanding their course offering if they have been operating for less than 2 years. This will allow ASQA to scrutinise new RTOs to ensure they demonstrate capability and genuine commitment to VET over a reasonable period;
- Provide ASQA with greater discretion in prioritising, considering and deciding RTO applications. This will allow ASQA to quickly progress applications for reputable organisations, while scrutinising high risk ones.
- Empower the Minister (with the agreement of state and territory Skills Ministers) to determine that ASQA need not, or must not, accept or process new RTO applications (or those for one or more classes of RTO). This will enable ASQA to address trends in applications by non-genuine providers, or manage unsustainable influxes into the VET sector and address associated risks;
- Expand offence and civil penalty provisions to cover a broader range of false or misleading representations by RTOs about their operations. This will allow ASQA to target egregious RTO conduct exploiting and luring students with false descriptions of training, facilities and false testimonials;
- Increase five-fold maximum penalties for a breach of relevant offences or civil penalties under the Act. Tougher penalties will deter RTOs that currently see penalties as a risk worth taking or a ‘cost of doing business’.
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CEO Announced for New Social Services Regulator
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This week, Jonathan Caplan, previously CEO of the VRQA, was announced as CEO of the recently established social services regulator.
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Vulnerable Victorians will be better protected, with legislation to establish a new social services regulator passing the Victorian Parliament last year.
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The new Social Services Regulation Act will strengthen the community sector by streamlining and simplifying regulation of social services and reducing red tape, while bolstering enforcement powers to protect people from harm.
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The new system will establish a single set of Social Service Standards and a single registration process for hundreds of community organisations, as well as an independent regulator, with a statutory office holder to be appointed.
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The reforms will be phased in from 1 July 2023 to give time for the sector to transition to the new arrangements.
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Services covered will include family violence, homelessness, Supported Residential Services, and disability services not within the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It will also oversee children youth and family's services.
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The new regulator replaces the current Human Services Regulator and provides decision-making separation between the responsibilities of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and decisions exercised by the regulator.
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The regulator can identify shortcomings in service delivery and work with providers to improve standards, issue fines to providers in breach of their responsibilities, and initiate criminal proceedings for aggravated breaches of the Standards where there has been wilful and serious non-compliance.
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The reforms will modernise regulation and protect the safety and human rights of service users, while supporting service providers to comply with the new standards.
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The legislation also enables the regulator to recognise other regulatory schemes, delivering a more coordinated, simpler system for organisations that must comply with more than one scheme.
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About the new regulatory framework
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The Social Services Regulation Act 2021 establishes a new framework for social services in Victoria. It begins on 1 July 2024.
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The initiatives in the Act will:
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- support the safe delivery of social services.
- ensure social service providers understand their role in protecting the rights of social service users.
- define roles and responsibilities of social service providers.
- give the new regulator monitoring and enforcement powers, so they can respond to risks of harm.
- improve information sharing between regulators so they can identify and respond to any risks of harm to service users.
The new system will mean Victorian social service providers will have:
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- streamlined registration and reporting requirements,
- a common set of social service standards
- a single independent regulator.
The Social Services Regulator will replace the current Human Services Regulator.
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VRQA Support New Victorian Apprenticeships Agreement
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In January 2024 Victoria’s regulatory agencies and authorities responsible for reducing the risk of harm for apprentices and trainees have signed an important agreement.
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The agreement commits the agencies to work together to facilitate an effective complaints resolution process for Victorian apprentices and trainees.
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This multi-agency agreement will support the timely sharing of complaints information among regulators.
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The VRQA co-signed the Heads of Agreement with WorkSafe, EnergySafe, Wage Inspectorate Victoria, Labour Hire Authority and Victorian Building Authority.
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The agreement is the result of consultation with apprentices, trainees, industry, employers, and unions.
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They identified a need to strengthen and improve protection systems for apprentices and trainees.
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Timely sharing of information means regulatory agencies and authorities can work together to reduce the risk of harm to Victorian apprentices and trainees.
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It will also make it easier for Victorian apprentices and trainees to make and resolve complaints.
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The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) hosted a Young Person's Roundtable on Skills and Training on 22 November 2023.
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The Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney attended the event with a group of diverse young Victorians aged 16 to 24 to learn about their experiences with post-secondary education, and to ensure that the education and training system is meeting their needs and supporting them to achieve their goals.
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It was a fantastic opportunity for prospective, current and recently graduated students to not only share their insights with policy makers but also build confidence and gain experience in representing their views.
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- Roundtable participants were a passionate and engaged group of young people and shared their thoughts with the VSA about:
- the changing world and their aspirations for the future
- their personal values and how they make decisions about post-secondary education
- their experiences of the skills and training system
- opportunities for student voices to be heard and acted upon.
The young people we spoke with wanted to make choices about their future careers based on the values that were important to them.
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But they also noted the difficulty in balancing personal interests and values, and family and societal expectations when weighing up their options following secondary education.
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They emphasised the importance of teachers and other inspirational figures in guiding them towards particular qualifications or career paths. But they also told us that getting unbiased information on career and study options was also a challenge.
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Participants also highlighted the importance of having mechanisms (like the roundtable) available to them to ensure they could actively provide input into aspects of the post-secondary education system that mattered to them – including the design and delivery of courses and support services.
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Their experiences and insights are a critical first input into work that the VSA is undertaking to implement actions relating to participation and inclusion from the first and second Victorian Skills Plans, and develop an overarching approach to support vocational training and education (VET) sector stakeholders in the capture of and response to, student feedback.
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The 2024 Skills Conference is being held in Sydney on Wednesday 12th June.
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This annual event is hosted by the Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT and discusses various issues relating to apprenticeships and traineeships in 2024.
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As a member, you can access the AEN member rates for the conference. Use the discount code AEN2024 (valid for a limited time) during the registration process.
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Accessing Hidden Talent to Improve Organisational Outcomes Masterclass
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Led by expert Phil Preston this Masterclasses designed to tackle the difficulties of accessing and retaining diverse talent while creating quality jobs.
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These sessions form part of a 3-year research project. Participants will share insights and gain knowledge on HR policies, hidden talent pools, and job quality. Benefits include networking opportunities, access to research findings, and toolkits.
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The project, funded by the Australian Research Council and industry partners, aims to produce academic outputs and briefings. Interested parties can register online to join these informative sessions and contribute to advancing the understanding of these critical issues.
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New workplace road safety program for apprentices in the construction trades is a FREE program aims to help new apprentices on their P plates safely navigate driving challenges at work.
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- Driving unfamiliar vehicles
- Fatigue and early morning driving
- Reliance on mobile phones
- Packing vehicles and securing loads
- Speed, speeding and stopping distances
- Dealing with risky or illegal situations
- One day – 6 hours including breaks and lunch provided
- Commences February 2024
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For further details and to register please
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- Groups up to 12
- A focus on P-plate apprentice carpenters, plumbers & electricians
- Free program delivered by experienced facilitators and trade trainers
- Mix of interactive learning and practical application
- Flexible, self-contained program that can come to you across Melbourne and Regional Victoria
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Building Personal Resilience
Resilience enables us to cope with change, challenges, and stress. It helps us to turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones and setbacks into comebacks.
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This interactive session is designed to empower and inspire you to maximise your own level of resilience required to respond positively to the pressures and demands in your personal and professional environment.
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Date: Tuesday 5th March 2024
Time: 10:00am - 1:30pm
Delivery: In Person
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Youth Mental Health First Aid (Accredited Course)
Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to someone who is developing a mental health problem, has a worsening of an existing mental health problem or is in a mental health crisis.
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The first aid is given until appropriate professional help is received, or the crisis resolves.
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Mental health first aid strategies are taught in evidence-based training programs authorised by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia and conducted by MHFA instructors across Australia.
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Date: Wednesday 20th March 2024
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Delivery: In Person
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Raising Personal Awareness
We are often obsessed with time and get distracted by the whirlwind of daily tasks, which by the end of the workday may make us wonder what we actually achieved.
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Personal effectiveness is about knowing when and where to direct efforts to achieve fruitful outcomes.
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In this engaging session, you will learn how to reduce interruptions and optimise your day by using a variety of productivity hacks that can make all the difference. These techniques are easy to learn and can help you work smarter, not harder.
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Date: Wednesday 17th April 2024
Time: 10:00am - 1:30pm
Delivery: In Person
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Please login to the members area prior to purchasing tickets to access the members rate or to RSVP for a free event.
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Since the program commenced in May 2020, a total of 1,133 participants have been supported to date.
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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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If you have an apprenticeship 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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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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