Skills eFlash #116

Date: 05-May-2023

1. Skills Forum 2023 – 8 June 2023 at qldwater Offices

Planning continues for this year’s event, taking place at our Eagle Farm Offices. It’s our 5th Skills Forum; this Forum takes place in qldwater’s 20th Anniversary year, so we’ll make sure to mark that milestone and we’d love to have you with us to do so!

A program with a wide range of presenters and topics covered from our membership community, partners and stakeholders as well as Government colleagues is being lined up.

They’ll all be linked to raising the profile of the industry this year, which is so critical at this moment in time.

Registrations for the event will be opening shortly via the qldwater website.

2. Skills Partnership Meeting – 27 April 2023 - review

A fantastic level of attendance and engagement at the recent Skills Partnership meeting which took place online – thanks to all that attended and contributed to the fulsome discussions. Some great experiences and learnings were captured across our group.

Much of the feedback will now be taken and applied to the DESBT Price Review document that qldwater completes in its role as Industry Skills Advisor (ISA) to the Department. This informs Government on the levels of subsidy, mechanisms around funding for skills and training and identifies any emerging issues that the industry faces.

Feedback from these sessions also form part of our ongoing advocacy across Government on behalf of the urban water industry.

The recording of the session, for those that couldn’t make it on the day, will be made available to members of the Water Skills Partnership via our Zoho platform.

For any members that do not currently have access to Zoho, please reach out at skills@qldwater.com.au and you’ll be added to the group and given access to the recording.

3. DESBT Micro-credentialing Program Funding Update

The Micro-credentialing Program provides an opportunity to support changing workplaces by enabling the provision of focused training for new or transitioning employees in specific skills.

Successful applicants for the 2023 Program will receive up to $250,000 to design, develop and deliver one or more micro-credentials aligned to specific industry skill gaps.

qldwater in its role as the Industry Skills Advisor is finalising the application ready for submission to DESBT to support the development of micro credentials in key areas, where workforce upskilling has been communicated as being needed.

4. Jobs & Skills Australia (Federal Level) Australian Labour Market for Migrants Report

The April 2023 Australian Labour Market for Migrants report is now out.

The April 2023 edition features a ‘hot topic’ section that analyses changes in migrant labour market outcomes, using Census data from 2011, 2016 and 2021.

The report provides high-level data and analysis on the Australian labour market that is intended to inform recent migrants to Australia, people interested in working in Australia on a temporary or permanent basis, and organisations providing services to migrants and potential visa applicants.

You can read the findings here.

5. VET delivery in regional, rural and remote Australia: barriers and facilitators

This research set out to investigate how the training system could better meet the needs of regional, rural and remote Australia, with the project focusing on:

understanding how various stakeholders in the VET system perceive local skills needs in regional, rural and remote locations
understanding the current barriers to delivering VET in regional, rural and remote locations, and if/how these are overcome.

These issues were examined through interviews with 58 stakeholders in eight case study locations across the country. Interviewees represented registered training organisations (RTOs), industry peak bodies, state training authorities (STAs), regional development bodies and employment service providers.

You can read and download a copy of the report here.

6. Free workforce planning course for Queensland businesses kicks off

Almost 150 participants have registered for a free seven-week Workforce Planning Course funded by the Queensland Government’s Jobs Queensland.

The short course helps small and medium sized businesses find the right people, with the right skill at the right time to support their business.

The course is being delivered online and/or in person at the Caboolture and Sippy Downs campuses of University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC).

Registrations have already opened for the next free Workforce Planning Course from 23 June. Participants can attend in person at UniSC’s Sunshine Coast campus or online.

7. Reimagining Workforce Livestream Event 17 May 2023

A skilled and high performing workforce is key to Queensland's economic growth and recovery. Every Queenslander deserves the opportunity to participate in the workforce.

To seize today's jobs and adapt to future opportunities, we need to do things differently. We need to:

reimagine our workforce
rethink our recruitment practices programs
give greater value to a diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

The Queensland Government is hosting the Reimagining Workforce 2023 event on 17 May 2023 in Brisbane and via livestream. (Access to the live event is by invitation only).

Reimagining Workforce 2023 follows on from the Queensland Government's highly successful 2022 Queensland Workforce Summit, where over 300 business and community leaders gathered to identify ways forward to address workforce challenges.

The keynote address will be delivered by disability advocate and 2022 Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott.

The event will include a panel session and interactive masterclasses with leading Queensland innovators, providing practical examples of how they have successfully reimagined their workplaces to address their workforce challenges.

Reimagining Workforce 2023 is an initiative of the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032.

The event will be livestreamed, not including masterclasses. You can register for the livestream here.

8. Workforce Connect Fund

The Workforce Connect Fund is an initiative designed to increase investment in industry and community-led projects that address attraction, retention and participation issues within the workforce.

It aims to drive systemic, industry-wide change in relation to these issues to enhance workforce outcomes for employers, employees and jobseekers.

The Fund is a key action of the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–32, developed to drive Queensland towards a strong and diverse workforce ready to seize today's jobs and adapt to future opportunities.

The Workforce Connect Fund provides grants for large, scalable projects delivered by industry peak bodies and community peak organisations to connect, develop and implement new and innovative strategies, services and/or mechanisms that support the attraction and retention of employees now and into the future.

Organisations proposing large-scale projects can apply for funding of up to $1 million each, with each project to be delivered over a maximum 12-month term.

The 2022–23 Workforce Connect Fund funding round closed on 25 November 2022. The 2023–24 funding round is anticipated to open in the second half of 2023.

qldwater will monitor the process and liaise with DESBT and members to understand what opportunities may exist in the program.