The McGowan Government has announced funding for the construction of new state-of-the-art training facilities at North Regional TAFE's Broome and Kununurra campuses.
As part of the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan, $10 million has been allocated for a hospitality training centre in Broome, and $6 million has been allocated for a health and hospitality trade training centre at the Kununurra campus.
The new centre in Broome will provide students with a contemporary training environment and will be home to a new live works training restaurant and alfresco café. The centre will ensure students are job-ready and equipped to take up local employment opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry as well as in the wider region such as catering in mine sites.
Live training restaurants add vibrancy to local communities and foster better industry partnerships while delivering industry-standard training.
The upgrades at North Regional TAFE's are part of the $167.4 million investment in capital works projects.
Read the full ministerial media statement.

As part of the WA Recovery Plan, the McGowan Government has announced a world-class hospitality and tourism training centre will be built at South Metropolitan TAFE's Mandurah campus.
The $9.17 million centre will replace an ageing home economics-style room to enable training of apprentice chefs in the Peel region. The centre will also focus on engaging local secondary students, young people and the long-term unemployed in vocational education and training.
The centre is set to improve the Peel region's capacity to train job-ready, highly skilled chefs, as well as front of house staff, event coordinators and tourism workers.
Read the full ministerial media statement.

Western Australian tourism company, Prendiville Group has purchased the former Fremantle Technical College.
​Plans include redeveloping part of the 2,400 square metre site to house a contemporary centre of excellence for hospitality management, which the Prendiville Group is seeking to partner with various institutions, to support hotels across the State, and create high-quality tourist experiences.
Short-term activation of the site will include opening a new alfresco food and beverage offering, with future potential for a hotel or student accommodation facility to front Norfolk Lane.
The sale will ensure that the State heritage-listed buildings, which are currently underutilised, will be restored and activated, making a positive contribution to the broader revitalisation of the Fremantle city centre.
Read the full ministerial media statement

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) had a busy month in, with the 29th 'No Frills' conference held online for the first time between 7 and 10 July, and the release of research and teacher resources.  The conference theme was: Workforce ready: challenges and opportunities for VET.

Apprentices and Trainees:

• Australian VET statistics: Apprentices and trainees 2019 — December quarter is available at NCVER Publications.
• For Information on employment outcomes, reasons for non-completion, and satisfaction with training for apprentices and trainees, view Apprentice and trainee experiences and destinations 2019.

Research:

• A discussion paper exploring the theme ‘Workforce ready: challenges and opportunities for VET’ was released in preparation for the 29th National VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’ .
• The use of RPL in VET is decreasing, according to a new report released by the NCVER.  Exploring the recognition of prior learning in Australian VET.

VET Practitioner Resources:

• NEW PODCAST: Responding to Industry 4.0 - what works.  Digital skills are now essential for most occupations in Australia. So what does this mean for VET courses and, therefore, our VET educators? Join Steve Davis as he talks to Suzi Kuti, Metro Trains Sydney, and NCVER researchers Michelle Circelli and Bridget Wibrow about what teaching digital skills means for VET educators, their integration into VET delivery, and why they should become key foundation skills for all VET students.  LISTEN: VET's response to Industry 4.0 and the digital economy: what works
• Good practice guides Incorporating digital skills into VET delivery and Teaching digital skills: implications for VET educators are available on the NCVER Portal.

A new report released by the state Government reviews skills, training, workforce development and the TAFE system in WA post-COVID19. The McGowan Government has committed to advancing all of the recommendations arising from the Review of Skills, Training and Workforce Development, with many already in place. The 41 observations and recommendations focus on preparing the workforce for the digital world, furthering new technologies and creating new futures for displaced workers. It also recommends the building of training capacity in regional Western Australia and ensuring disadvantaged people are supported in their transition to training and the workforce. The review - which the McGowan Government commissioned in May this year - aims to ensure the WA training system can rapidly respond and prepare Western Australians to get back to work following the impacts of COVID-19. FutureNow worked with the review committee and Western Australian ICT industry stakeholders to provide industry advice that partially informs the report's recommendations.

Also announced today was a record investment in TAFE infrastructure, with $229.2m directed to modernising projects for TAFE campuses across the state. 

Read the full Review media statement 
Read the full Infrastructure media statement 

A new National Aquatic Industry Report, published by Royal Life Saving on behalf of the National Aquatic Industry Safety Committee (NAISC), comes at a critical and challenging time for the aquatic industry, which has been significantly impacted by Australia-wide closures following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic has led to a loss of employment, or a significant reduction in hours, for many of the 67,000 frontline workers, of which almost half are casual employees, three-quarters are female and 40% are between the ages of 18 to 24 years. The sector faces an estimated $900m in lost revenue and $430m in lost wages in the six months to September 2020.

The report analyses employee insights relating to working life, professional development and future needs of those working in the aquatic industry, a sector which contributes directly to community health, wellbeing and safety, and is thought to provide $2.8 billion in health benefits each year.

It recommends innovative strategies, centred around training and mentoring programs, to enable workers keen to pursue a career in the industry to learn about and move between a range of roles. This would create a cohort of multi-skilled workers that have a stronger connection to the employer and greater engagement with the industry through more permanent full- and part-time opportunities.

Read more
Download the National Aquatic Industry Report

The Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray joined SportWest members at the Gold Netball Centre to receive the Strategic Priorities for WA Sport from SportWest Chairman Michael Beros on 15 July.

A series of priorities have been developed across three themes:
1.  Capability - Developing the people and the organisations who support the industry.
2. Access - Improving access to sport participation opportunities for the community.
3. Innovation - Growing a sport sector that embraces knowledge, collaboration, data and technology.

The document is the first of its kind in Western Australia, having been prepared by the industry for the industry.  Download the Strategic Priorities document.

The Western Australian Sports Federation (SportWest) has received a Healthway grant of $82,500 to develop a framework to guide and strengthen mental health prevention initiatives across community sport in Western Australia.

Healthway’s Director of Health Promotion Julia Knapton said, the grant would see SportWest coordinate the project in partnership with Healthway, the WA Association for Mental Health, the Mental Health Commission and Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

“The framework will support the local sports sector to effectively promote mental health and increase mental health literacy in the community,” Ms Knapton said.  Read more

While most winter sports in Western Australia are back in action this month, more than one in three participants have not yet returned to playing venues.
 
A survey by SportWest, the peak industry body for sport in Western Australia, has revealed that registrations across sports (junior and senior) are down by 29 per cent compared with the same time last year.

More than 65 per cent of State Sporting Associations that responded to the survey attributed the reduction in player numbers to the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown of sport. Nearly 35 per cent of respondents said affordability was the main driver for lower registrations, suggesting the economic impact of COVID-19 on households was having a flow on effect on community sport.
 
SportWest Chief Executive Rob Thompson said while community sport was getting back on its feet, the impact of COVID-19 would be felt for some time.
 
"It has been fantastic to see Western Australians active and returning to organised sport thanks to the commitment of club members and volunteers.," Mr Thompson said.  "But many in the sports sector and club land are doing it tough. There has been limited to no revenue coming through the door for many months and one in three club members are yet to return to their sport of choice. 
 
"This is a challenge for our community. Sport plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of our society and it is really important that everyone has the opportunity to join their local sports clubs. We urge all those participants who are yet to reregister with their local club to make contact now and return to enjoying their sport.," he said. "For those in the community who are doing it tough financially, there are a number of options available through your club or State Sporting Association to help get you back in action."

The Chamber of Arts and Culture WA have released their Arts and Culture Economic Recovery Plan which advocates for specific short term responses and long term strategic initiatives to support the performing and visual arts, writing, publishing, screen and cultural sectors in their response to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The arts and cultural sectors have been among the most heavily impacted by quarantine measures restricting public gatherings in the first half of 2020.

​Read the full report here.