FutureNow Seeks Creative Industries Project Manager

FutureNow, the Western Australian Training Council for the creative and leisure industries seeks an experienced creative industry practitioner with an understanding of Vocational Education and Training (VET)  to take a lead role in brokering the provision of best practice training and workforce development solutions for the creative industries.

For further details, follow the link to the Seek advertisement.

Workforce Development Plan - Update

The WA workforce development plan: A skilled workforce for the future issues paper invited Western Australian businesses and community to take part in shaping their future workforce and contribute to the development and coordination of future skills and labour needs. This information will guide workforce development policy and training that truly reflects industry and community needs. FutureNow is currently working on the initial stages of the workforce development plan for the creative and leisure industries, which will involve researching current industry issues to produce an environmental scan, and identifying industry critical occupations.

Minimum Hours for Part-time Apprenticeships and Traineeships - Survey Questionnaire

The WA Department of Training and Workforce Development has requested feedback regarding all Training Councils’ position on the possibility of reducing the minimum part-time hours to 15 hours for industries within their coverage.

The minimum hours of employment and training for apprentices and trainees (including any off the job training component) has always been 20 hours per week in Western Australia, despite lower minimums in some other states and territories. More recently, part-time arrangements for the traditional trades were introduced in 2007 with a minimum of 20 hours.

The Department is now testing support for a reduction to 15 hours but in an effort to keep the training system simple and easy for employers to understand, there should be a uniform minimum part-time employment and training hour requirement across the State for all apprenticeships and traineeships. Training Council feedback in this matter will assist the Department in formulating a position on this policy for the Minister's consideration.

If you would like to participate in this important survey that may affect your business in the future, please click here.

Government Sets New Increased Target for Trainees and Apprentices

Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier has announced a new target of 47,100 apprentices and trainees in training by 2012, an increase of 26 per cent over three years. Mr Collier said this represented an additional 10,000 workers on the last peak, which was reached in 2008. The new apprenticeship and traineeship targets have been based on wide consultation with industry to reflect its future skills need.

Click here to read more.

Changes to the General Skilled Migration Program

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has announced a number of changes to the general skilled migration program including:

• removal of the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL)
• a new skilled occupation list from mid-2010 as determined by independent authority Skills Australia
• setting a maximum number of offshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa applications made before 1 September 2007 that could be granted.

For further information about the changes to the skilled migration program, click here.

E-learning Opportunities in 2010

Funding to implement e-learning

There are a number of funding opportunities available to Registered Training Organisations in 2010, through the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, for projects which implement e-learning in your organisation.   

For information on all funding opportunities through the Framework, click here. 

For information specifically on E-learning Innovations Project funding in Western Australia, visit the flexible learning website at www.flexiblelearning.net.au/wa

New Tourism Brand for Western Australia Launched

Premier Colin Barnett and Tourism Minister Liz Constable have launched Western Australia's new tourism brand - Experience Extraordinary - which will promote the hundreds of extraordinary destinations and experiences across the State. The new brand will highlight the many extraordinary experiences and destinations unique to Western Australia. It is expected that the tourism promotion will also reflect positively on, and increase interest in tourism training.

Have Your Say - New Qualifications in the Creative Industries

FutureNow - Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council is hosting free workshops to ensure that WA artists, designers, practitioners, educators and training organisations can have their say into proposed new national qualifications.

Visual Arts, Crafts and Ceramics

Workshop to be held on Thursday 11th March from 9.00 - 11.30am. Click below for further details:

• Visual Arts, Crafts and Ceramics Invitation
• Project Information

Design/Graphic Design

Workshop to be held on Thursday 11th March from 1.30 - 4.00pm. Click below for further details:

• Design/Graphic Design Invitation
• Project Information

A discussion paper is available for viewing. To view the paper, click here.

To RSVP to either of the above workshops, please contact Zoe Nicholson, Project Manager - Creative Industries at znicholson@futurenow.org.au