The 30th anniversary of the WA Training Awards last Friday night showcased the incredible talents of the creative and leisure industries, with contributions from photographers, caterers, live technicians, event planners, student florists, hairdressers, beauticians, radio hosts, and performers. Our industries played a key role in making the event a spectacular celebration of training excellence.
Highlights from the night include:

• North Metropolitan TAFE students delivering event coordination support
• South Metropolitan TAFE students creating stunning floral displays throughout the venue and on tables
• 600 individually wrapped cookies, baked by South Metropolitan TAFE students, as table favours
• BOOM Radio, a TAFE student-run station, broadcasting live from the event, interviewing winners and special guests like Minister for Training Simone McGurk
• WA Academy, a private RTO, operating a beauty bar, with Taylorweir Hairdressing and Barbering students offering hair styling for attendees

In addition to these student contributions, the event was powered by a talented team of photographers, DJs, graphic designers, caterers, audio-visual specialists, media representatives, and MC Tina Altieri, creating a memorable and inspiring night.

The State Government has introduced the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 into State Parliament, aimed at modernising the State industrial relations system.
The Bill will amend the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 to increase the loading for casual workers on the minimum wage to 25 percent. This will bring Western Australia into line with the national system.
The reforms will enshrine a prohibition on sexual harassment at work in State employment laws and establish new pathways to resolve sexual harassment disputes. This legislation also introduces a fit and proper person test for union officials to obtain a State right of entry permit.

Read Minister McGurk's full media statement here.

Music Australia, the dedicated body established under Creative Australia to support and invest in Australian contemporary music, has launched a new funding initiative designed to support Australian labels, from local independents through to major label Australian subsidiaries that are actively discovering, developing, and promoting local talent. 
Offering grants up to $150,000, the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme (RLDS) will support eligible record labels committed to the growth and success of Australian recording artists. Grants are available from $10,000 to $150,000 to eligible Australian record labels, and Australian subsidiaries of multinational record labels, that have been operating for a minimum of 3 years.  

​Learn more here and here.

Screen Australia has announced a $900,000 industry development fund aimed at bridging skill shortages and boosting the capabilities of the Australian screen workforce.
It forms part of Screen Australia’s Industry Development initiatives, which have supported training and skills development for more than 500 industry professionals.
The most recent round of funding has been made through Screen Australia’s Skills Development Fund (which supports production companies, game development studios and screen businesses to provide work-based learning) and the BTL: Next Step program (which supports mid-career practitioners to upskill from their current areas of expertise).

​Learn more here.

A new tourism-focused division within the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has been created.
WA's national parks are home to about 500 tourism businesses, with DBCA managing award-winning attractions like the Kalbarri Skywalk and the Tree Top Walk, as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Ningaloo Coast and Shark Bay. To further support tourism within WA's conservation estate, DBCA's new nature-based tourism division will be charged with driving new commercial tourism projects in national parks. 
It will also support the Department's industry relationship management, tourism operator licensing, and new tourism opportunity development. 
To support the division, DBCA will also establish a Nature-based Tourism Industry Reference Group, with representatives from Tourism Council WA, tourism operators and the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI).
More information about DBCA Nature Based Tourism can be found here

Western Australia has been confirmed as the host of the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference and Annual General Meeting in 2025, which will attract more than 150 industry leaders.
The annual conference will bring together some of Australia's top industry representatives to discuss the sector and learn more about WA's various onshore experiences and port capabilities, running from 3-5 September 2025.
Cruise ships continue to form an important part of Western Australia's tourism industry and economic diversification agenda, with a record $333.5 million generated in economic impact for the State in 2022-23, which created more than 1,000 local jobs.
More information about the ACA Conference here.

Minister Templeman has today announced the launch of a new VR initiative to enable First Nations practitioners to explore new story-telling mediums. The First Nations VR Documentary Initiative is a special initiative designed to uncover distinctive WA First Nations voices, support their career progression and enable practitioners to explore new story-telling mediums and markets.
Screenwest is seeking 'bold, creative and forward-thinking short VR documentary concepts that explore the theme of ‘Truth-Telling’ and how it relates to current First Nations conversations.'
The initiative will take place over three stages, starting with a one-day workshop open to all WA First Nations creatives.

​Learn more and get involved here

Visual Arts Work (VAW) is an Australian Research Council Linkage project led by researchers from RMIT University and The University of Melbourne, and industry partners the National Association of the Visual Arts (NAVA), and the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA). Visual Arts Work: sustainable strategies for the Australian visual arts and craft sector aims to strengthen the industry’s ecosystem. In a context where artists’ incomes are low and falling, commercial galleries are financially vulnerable, and public galleries face funding challenges, this project aims to address barriers to the sector’s economic health and the challenge of improving artists’ and arts workers’ incomes.
VAW have recently launched a 2024 survey for visual or craft artists or arts workers living in Australia. The survey is a follow up to the 2022 iteration, and is designed to enable Visual Arts Work to compare results over time. Previous data has been used to provide evidence to the Fair Work Modern Awards Review, and has been published in academic journals and The Conversation.

NAVA are also currently running a survey, with early insights showing that pay, working conditions, cost of living and freedom of expression remain key concerns for this workforce.

​Learn more and complete the survey here