There is a platform on the WA Volunteering site which matches volunteers to emergency crisis organisations. This is an opportunity to provide your support during times of crisis such as: 

• Delivering supplies
• Providing essential transport (doctor's appointments)

during Covid emergencies. 

​This volunteer database also called up volunteers to support the 2019 bushfire emergencies. If you are interested in finding out more about being a volunteer, visit the Emergency Volunteer website here

This important contribution of volunteers has prompted additional government funding to enhance the recruitment and management of volunteers in times of emergency, community recovery and other significant events.  

Thirteen Western Australian arts organisations will receive funding in the latest round of the state government's $5m Creative Communities Covid-19 Recovery Program. The program has provided funding to more than ninety projects since August 2020.
Aimed at building connection in the community through arts, the project has funded residencies and long-term collaborations in the community arts, music, visual arts and theatre spheres. Ten of the thirteen new recipients are based across regional WA, including in Roebourne, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, and Esperance.
An additional $400,000 is being invested in the Regional and Remote Festivals Fund, which provides up to $50,000 to present arts and cultural activities at regional festivals. Recipients extend from the Yajilarra Festival in Bunuba in the Kimberley, to the Denmark Festival of Voice in the Great Southern.

Read Minister Templeman's media statement about the Creative Communities Covid-19 Recovery Program
Read Minister Templeman's media statement about the Regional and Remote Festivals Fund

Relevant qualifications within the FutureNow Portfolio include:

• Certificate II in Sport Coaching
• Certificate III in Fitness
• Certificate IV in Fitness
• Certificate IV in Sport Development

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To access the full list click on the document below:

Recent research by the NCVER (White and Rittie, 2022) indicates that Australian employers turned to training to assist them with the skills that helped them remain productive during the pandemic, and are now viewing training as a tool for recovery. Upskilling and reskilling: the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on employers and their training choices suggests that the experience of new ways of working and learning during the pandemic mean that the VET sector will need to continue to be flexible and responsive to meet employer requirements of workplace safety, accelerating digitisation and blended learning options. 

The Committee for Perth has published research about the State's heavily disrupted labour  market. The Western Australian Labour Market: Insights into Immediate Challenges by Dr Anh Tram Le is the first of three Fact base papers which form part of the Committee's 2022 Race to the Top project. 

In addition to looking at drivers for the current skills and labour shortages, the paper presents solutions and opportunities, including better utilisation of the latent labour force, an increase in part time work loads, more flexible working arrangements, workforce participation support such as childcare and a better alignment between skills and occupations. Migration will play a role in addressing the current situation and it is noted that the return of migrants would be greatly assisted  by a reduction in visa processing times.  

The ICT Information Communications Technology training package has undergone significant review requiring re-endorsement. In particular, 30 skill sets were removed, and 74 new skill sets, reflecting current industry skills needs, have been added.

View the changes