Community Skills WA in conjunction with Apprenticeship Support Australia held a webinar on 21 October 2024 to delve into the world of traineeships. Rebecca McKechnie presented to the well-attended webinar and shared a wealth of information.
If you are interested in exploring how traineeships could support the growth of your workforce please view the recorded webinar here.
For any further information please contact CSWA.
As a Training Council, CSWA continues to build the workforce capacity of our sectors and our work has a strategic focus, however we love hearing about and sharing stories of individual and local success and examples of programs that have a positive human connection.
Whilst at a forum recently, I made an accidental connection and heard about one such program Youngster.co. For anyone who has seen the programs ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ and ‘Old People’s Home for Teenagers’, it is hard to not be moved by the impact of the programs on both participants.
https://mailchi.mp/cb50c6a99dfe/cswa-newsletter-sep-18153905
The invitation to participate as a panelist at the Regional and Remote Communities workshop at HumanAbility’s National Forum in Canberra provided the opportunity to highlight the unique challenges faced by our regional and remote communities but also the innovative approaches utilised to overcome these. An example of a challenge highlighted was the scenario whereby many communities do not have an accredited Early Learning Service which a student requires access to in order to complete the assessment requirements of the qualification. Unfortunately these scenarios are often not recognised when decisions made around training development and delivery so the opportunity to raise awareness is important.
https://mailchi.mp/d4a4c98a701f/cswa-newsletter-aug-17846909
It is one thing to write a report that talks about strategies to create pathways for young people and another to see the achievement of these strategies realised. Whilst we will continue to report on challenges and recommend strategies it is seeing the impact they can have on communities and individuals that motivates us to do the work we do. Nowhere is that more evident than in communities like Roebourne where creating an opportunity for one student at the high school can have a ripple effect and pave the way for future student success. We had the opportunity to return to Roebourne District High School recently and hear about the potential impact one student undertaking the Certificate II in Community Health and Wellbeing will have.
https://mailchi.mp/ff5ee967f20c/cswa-newsletter-jul-17820085
With the upcoming addition of the Sport, Fitness and Recreation sectors to CSWA’s industry coverage the team is keen to explore new and existing synergies with our existing sectors of Community Services, Health and Education.
The alignment is already evident with an increased awareness on the value of exercise and movement in improving physical health outcomes across the population.Our existing consultations have already identified that participation in sports, fitness and recreation activities, in addition to providing physical benefits, are also
https://mailchi.mp/bdab11f11acc/cswa-newsletter-aug-17755313?e=82247b97db
During National Reconciliation Week, Now More Than Ever our team has been reflecting on how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. CSWA is committed to The National Agreement on Closing the Gap that places four Priority Reforms at the centre. These reforms are central to the National Agreement and will change the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. CSWA consider it a privilege to listen to and learn from Aboriginal people and where we can, contribute to the capacity building of their communities. Now More Than Ever #NRW2024
https://mailchi.mp/63a31aef7782/cswa-newsletter-aug-17753029
Unfortunately when it comes to the delivery of Vocational Education and Training (VET) not all delivery is created equal. CSWA is often contacted by organisations and/or individuals for whom the training experience has not produced the desired outcome. As well as impacting on the student or organisation it undermines the value of VET which has a critical role to play in the development of skills and knowledge and potentially career opportunities.
https://mailchi.mp/a78fcbbd0817/cswa-newsletter-aug-17751570
Hopscotch – creating pathways into paid work for parents via Child and Parent Centres
In 2023, Anglicare WA set out to test an innovative pathway to meet community and workforce needs. In collaboration with Community Skills WA & Dudley Park Child and Parent Centre, Anglicare created a low stress, accessible pathway into paid work in the care work sector.
The Hopscotch initiative accepted the challenge to bridge the divide between those seeking employees and those seeking work, to create flexible pathways that accommodate the needs of both employers and prospective employees, while considering sustainable career options that will survive in the broader context of the future of work.
Microsoft PowerPoint – Hopscotch Pilot Report_March 2024 – A4 version (anglicarewa.org.au)
Having completed and submitted our WA Jobs Education and Training (WAJET) survey responses for 2024, the team is now looking to revisit key findings and explore potential opportunities to develop the current and future workforce. This will include further consultations but also exploring ways in which the information can be shared with key stakeholders such as schools, to raise awareness of the incredible range of career opportunities.
https://mailchi.mp/be567ee41b7c/cswa-newsletter-aug-17644201
On behalf of the CSWA Team, Happy New Year to all our stakeholders. We look forward to working with you all in 2024 connecting dots and building capacity across the Community Services, Health and Education workforces.
One thing we are committed to doing in 2024 is sharing more of the good news stories that we are fortunate enough to uncover when we engage with stakeholders across the State that showcase innovation and positive impact
https://mailchi.mp/a194f0becf89/cswa-newsletter-aug-17628106
Chairperson’s Report for the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Community Services, Health, & Education Industry Training Council operating as Community Skills WA (CSWA)
The Chairman’s report is provided in accordance with the requirements of the Community Services, Health, & Education Industry Training Council constitution (operating as Community Skills WA (CSWA)) and its Service Agreement with the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD). The report provides an outline of CSWA’s strategic progress, issues, and activities during 2022/2023.
Community Skills WA represents the Community Services, Health and Education sectors across Western Australia and engages with stakeholders to ensure industry and learner needs are identified and considered. CSWA has continued its advocacy work over the last 12 months to ensure strategies and training products are best positioned to develop the current and future workforce at a local level and support learner success.
In 2022-2023, the Community Services, Health and Education sectors continued to experience growth, with employment in the Health Care and Social Assistance sectors alone increasing to 203,900 in April 2023. This represents 13.9% of the WA workforce, which when combined with Education and Training increases to over 21%. Furthermore, the recently released Commonwealth White Paper identified that “the ageing population and demand for care services are two of five major forces that will shape the Australian economy of the coming decades.”
Compounded by an increasingly tight labour market, housing shortages and cost of living pressures, attracting and retaining a workforce across all these sectors has become increasingly challenging. This has however created opportunities to focus on place-based solutions which are increasingly reliant on VET pathways and create valuable employment opportunities within communities. Following the development of these pathways and connecting of dots by the CSWA teams, examples of the development of a local sustainable workforce are starting to emerge. The opportunity to continue and expand this work will come via support for the Community Care Development Model, with these recent examples providing evidence of the potential gains for both the sectors and community.
In addition to regional engagement, CSWA has continued to advocate at both State and Commonwealth levels, to ensure training products align with industry requirements and system capacity issues are identified and delivery and implementation challenges addressed to improve accessibility. The recent establishment of HumanAbility is hoped to provide an opportunity to ensure that future training products accommodate the often-unique needs of the WA sector workforce and student demographics.
While the year has presented challenges, including the update of a large number of training products, VET capacity issues limiting access to training and significant changes across the VET system, there are also considerable examples of success. These examples have further enabled CSWA to build its reputation as a valued source of advice and support around training and workforce development across all the sectors it represents.
While CSWA concluded work on the Regional Early Childhood report for the State Training Board in 2021. the release of the McGowan Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Regional Workforce Action Plan in May 2023 once again highlighted the value of the advice provided by CSWA. On the back of this report the successful facilitation of the recent Early Childhood Roundtable demonstrated CSWA’s ability to engage with all key stakeholders and provide the opportunity for a collaborative approach to identifying opportunities for change.
The significant expansion of the Certificate II Community Health and Wellbeing pre-traineeship across the state has continued to create opportunities for school students to explore career opportunities equitably and in a way that supports success. The qualification also continues to gain recognition as a pathway and mechanism to build the future workforce across the social assistance and allied health sectors.
The Integrating Mental Health Practice skill set established in early 2022 also continues to increase sector capacity and most recently the Community Support skill set has proved its value in not only underpinning the Ageing and Disability Job Ready program, but also providing a critical entry pathway in regional and remote communities.
During the year, CSWA worked closely with Shelter WA, North Metro TAFE, Community Housing Providers, and the Department of Communities to present an application to the State Training Board supporting the establishment of the Cert IV in Housing qualification as a
traineeship. This was achieved in September and importantly as a result of significant advocacy by CSWA the qualification delivery commenced, which will build the capacity of the community housing sector workforce.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CSWA Board who continue to promote and support the work of the Training Council, as well as provide expert advice and advocacy when required.
I offer this report for the Council’s acceptance.
Neil Guard
Chairperson
November 2023
As the CSWA team will be taking a break over the Christmas period this will be the last newsletter for the year and as such presents a time for reflection on the year that has nearly passed.
As always, we are aware of the ongoing challenges faced by the community services, health and education sectors due to funding uncertainty, costs of living pressures, housing access and the impacts of a highly competitive labour market to name just a few.
