Apprenticeship Employment Network

AE News Volume 11, Issue 27

Friday, 3rd August 2018
Hi Reader!
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Upcoming Events

14 Aug - QA Standards Network
23 & 24 Aug - Field Officers Conference
30 Aug - IR & Financial Controllers Network
Click here for all upcoming events.

AEN Annual Awards – Nominations Now Open

The annual AEN award nominations opened this week 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.

Categories include:

  • Apprentice of the Year
  • Trainee of the Year
  • OH&S Initiative of the Year
  • GTO Service Excellence Award
  • OH&S STAR Award
  • GTO Staff service awards for 10,15,20,25,30 years of service
  • AEN Lifetime Achievement Award
The awards will be presented at the AEN annual dinner on Thursday 22 November.

Tickets will be available shortly.

Nominations close 28 September.

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

Victorian DET Update

This week the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) has launched its inaugural TAFE and Training Update.

Everyone is encouraged to visit the website and subscribe to the newsletter.

This week the update focussed on a couple of new initiatives

Free TAFE Courses Information


From 1 January 2019, Free TAFE for Priority Courses pays tuition fees for priority courses for students who are eligible for government-subsidised training.

This includes:
  • An initial 20 priority non apprenticeship courses, state-wide – a further 10 priority courses will be confirmed following consultation with industry, in time for students to enrol for the 2019 training year
  • 18 Victorian Government-subsidised apprenticeship pathway courses (sometimes called pre apprenticeships)
TAFEs may take enrolments in 2018 for Free TAFE for Priority Courses that begin in 2019.

Please refer to the New Free TAFE course site and Updated DET Skills website

National Skills Week

27 August 27 –2 September 2018

National Skills Week is the focal point for the promotion of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training sector (VET). Each year the week continues to celebrate and inform students and the wider public of the diversity and career pathways available through VET. The week communicates the emerging trends and new growth drivers connecting skills training with job outcomes.
National Skills Week 2018 will extend the message by adopting Real Skills for Real Careers as the theme for 2018.

Keep an eye on National Skills Week and SkillsOne social media accounts and stay up to date by signing up to our newsletter to receive the latest information on upcoming plans for 2018!

To find out further information and to register your local event please visit National Skills Week.

Upcoming AEN Professional Development Workshops

AEN is hosting a number of Professional Development workshops for GTO Members.

Workshops Include:

  • Generation Gap Workshop - 4 September 2018
  • RTO Workshop - 25 September 2018
  • Emotional Intelligence - 2 October 2018
  • IR & Financial Controllers Workshop - 16 October 2018
  • Cross-Cultural Responisiveness Training - 23 October 2018

Location:

AEN Offices
Level 3, 478 Albert Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002

For further inforamtion and to register please click here.

VRQA Update – GTO Registration Process

This week the VRQA updated their website to finalise the GTO registration process and forms required to be submitted for organisations seeking to be recognised as a GTO in Victoria. All existing GTOs also received notification in the mail to the future audit process commencing later this year.

Steps for organisations seeking GTO recognition in Victoria.


Step 1​: Submit an application, including a compliance self-assessment against the National Standards for Group Training Organisations, and associated evidence. To access the forms, go to:
Step 2: VRQA will assess the application and conduct a financial viability assessment, requesting specific financial information about your organisation.

Step 3: An audit will be conducted to determine your compliance with the National Standards for Group Training Organisations. This may involve a desk-audit and/or site audit.

Step 4: VRQA will provide feedback and seek a response from you.Step : VRQA will make a final decision on the application. If the application is approved, recognition is granted for up to 5 years.

To find out further information and to access the forms please visit VRQA.

GTOs are reminded that AEN will host a meeting on QA Standards on 14 August where the GTO standards will be discussed in greater detail – to register for the event please visit AEN Events.

National Tradie Health Month – August

This week marks the beginning of National Tradie Health Month. Each year in August the Australian Physiotherapy Association highlights the need for all tradies to be more aware of the risks of their job and overall health and well being.
National Tradie Health Month

For further information please visit the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Steve Herbert – Melbourne Polytechnic

On Friday morning last week Melbourne Polytechnic announced the naming of their library building after the Hon. Steve Herbert.

Steve was a Labor Party member of the Victorian Parliament from 2002 to 2017, Legislative Assembly, as a member for Eltham from 2002 to 2014, and in the Victorian Legislative Council for Northern Victoria Region from 2014 to 2017. Over his career Steve was a great champion for VET and education in general.
herbert Melb Poly
Congratulations to Steve Herbert.

For further information please visit the Melbourne Polytechnic website.

Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Champion 'Diversity and Inclusivity’

Mercedes-Benz Melbourne, a member of LSH Auto Australia, has been awarded the Skilling Australia Foundation 2018 'Diversity and Inclusion' Award for championing gender diversity with an innovative approach to hiring.

They were presented this award by Skilling Australia Foundation Chairman Fred Maddern (OBE) at an event held at Mercedes-Benz Melbourne in South Melbourne last week. This award was presented to them because they have a commitment to placing driven females into positions that are traditionally male dominated.

Mercedes-Benz Melbourne were honoured to be recognised for their support of diversity and inclusion in the work place.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Apprentice Parts Interpreter, Bianka Chiodo, also won the Skilling Australia Foundation Mercedes-Benz International Scholarship. Through this scholarship, Bianka will be heading off to the United States for a cultural and career development tour in September.

Steve Williams, Fixed Operations Manager at Mercedes-Benz Melbourne commented on having Bianka as part of the team.
Merc Benz 2
“It has been fantastic having Bianka join our team. With the industry changing consistently it calls for new people with new ideas to be able to make the change seamless.”

“Bianka has been part of our change, her approach to challenges and tasks from small to grand scales has been confident and the results are an attribute to her work ethic. Bianka leads by example and assists all of her team members wherever and whenever possible.”

This week, Minister for Training and Skills, Gayle Tierney, will personally meet Bianka to congratulate her on her achievement and ask her a few questions on how she is finding all aspects of her apprenticeship.

Since 2000, WPC Group has placed 266 apprentices and trainees with host employer, Mercedes-Benz Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland. Most of them do light vehicle apprenticeships, but there are also business trainees and apprentices focusing on spare parts, panel beating and spray painting.

Congratulations to Mercedes Benz Melbourne and WPC Group.

For further information please visit the WPC Group website.

2018 Field Officers Conference

This year’s Field Officers Conference promises to be jam packed with information and activities that will assist field officers.

The event is being held at the Rendezvous Melbourne on the 23 & 24 of August 2018.

Guest speakers and workshops over the 1 ½ days include:

  • Department of Education Update
  • Alcohol, Drugs and Wellbeing
  • OHS Pre Placement Assessments
  • Mindfulness Workshop
  • Team Building activities

When

23 & 24 August 2018

Where

Rendezvous Hotel Melborne
328 Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Registrations close Thursday 9 August 2018!

Accomodation

All delegates must organise their own accomodation. To book accomodation contact the Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne.

For further information and to register please click here.

WorldSkills Australia Announce 2019 Team

Recently WorldSkills Australia announced the 2019 WorldSkills squad that will compete in Kazan, Russia.

Twenty-three young Australians have won the right to join a team who will train towards selection to represent Australia at the 45th WorldSkills International Competition in Russia, in 2019.

The team members, known as the Skills Squad, were selected after their success at the recent WorldSkills Australia National Championships, which took place in Sydney last month. The championships saw more than 400 of Australia’s best apprentices and trainees compete for the title of National Champion in one of the 50 trade and skill categories.

The Skills Squad team members, who range in age from 17 to 23, will spend the next 10 months working with a dedicated training manager for the chance of being selected to represent Australia at the world’s biggest skills excellence competition, where the best young apprentices and trainees from more than 70 nations will compete for the title of World Champion in Kazan, Russia, in August 2019.

Skills Squad team members have been selected from a broad array of trades and skills, ranging from traditional trades such as Bricklaying and Cabinetmaking to skills of the future including Cloud Computing and IT Network Systems Administration. The team of 23 includes five females in the trade/skill areas of 3D Digital Game Art, Car Painting, Beauty Therapy, Fashion Technology and Graphic Design Technology.

Congratulations to all squad members

To see the full team member squad and for further information please visit WorldSkills Australia.

Caravan Industry Launch Jobs, Career and Training Strategy

Caravan Industry Launch Jobs
On Wednesday morning this week the Caravan Industry Association launched its jobs, career and training strategy at Camberfield with Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll.

Developed by the Caravan Industry Association of Victoria, the strategy aims to improve career pathways and training for those wishing to enter the industry, and boost training opportunities for people currently in it.

For further information please visit the Ministers Media Centre.

Skills Service Organisations Funding Continued

Recently the Federal Government announced that it would continue funding for all six of the Skills Service Organisations (SSOs) that form a key part of the national training system.

Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Karen Andrews, said SSOs are independent, professional service organisations that support Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) to develop modern and relevant training packages.

“Together SSOs and IRCs are the channel through which the government receives advice on the skills industry need,” Minister Andrews said.

The following SSOs have had their funding arrangement extended:
  • Artibus Innovation
  • Australian Industry Standards Limited
  • IBSA Manufacturing
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Skills for Australia
  • Skills Impact Limited
  • SkillsIQ
“These six SSOs have proven their ability to support IRCs to consult with industry stakeholders,” Minister Andrews said.

“This model has proven to be effective in giving industry a say on the skills needed for their industries.”

Minister Andrews said IRCs are a crucial element of our national training system, and providing them with continuity of support ensures their contributions continue to make a difference.

For further information please visit the Ministers Department of Education and Training Media Centre.

For Minister Andrews press release please click here.

Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service (AATIS) - FREE Webinars for Career Influencers.

Learn More About Using AATIS Resources and Products

Thursday 9 August
3.30 pm to 4.20 pm

This webinar will cover how to use AATIS resources in your work with clients including students, career changers, and job hunters. Find out more about the latest AATIS resource developments.

To register click here.

Engaging Youth with Australian Apprenticeships Information

Wednesday 5 September
2.00 pm to 2.50 pm

Hear all about recently completed research exploring on how young people and influencers engage with careers information, including examples of how AATIS are adapting their service based on this research, and how you might too

To register click here.

NCVER Update

NCVER this week released the following data on the Australian VET statistics for 2017.

Statistical report: Australian VET statistics: Total VET students and courses 2017
Infographic: Australian VET statistics: Total VET students and courses 2017
Fact sheets: Total VET activity
Data visualisation tools: ATLAS of total VET 2017
Data slicer: Australian VET statistics: Total VET students and courses 2017
Media release: VET sector participation remains steady

Summary: The estimated number of students participating in VET has remained steady at 4.2 million in 2017, according to new data released in the report Total VET students and courses 2017.
Total program enrolments decreased across all Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) certificate levels, except certificate III (up 2.6% to 996 100).

Subject only enrolments (i.e. enrolments in a stand-alone unit of competency or module not a full program) increased by 19.3% to 5.2 million, representing 17.8% of all subject enrolments (14.4% in 2016).

The estimated number of international students (studying both onshore and offshore) increased in 2017 by 10.4% to 186 300. International fee-for-service subject enrolments increased by 14.8% to 2.2 million, with fee-for-service subject enrolments at private providers increasing by 25.0% to 1.5 million.

Thanks to our Industry Partners

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