The National Skills Agreement is a 5-year joint agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories to strengthen the vocational education and training (VET) sector and will commence 1 January 2024.
The Agreement will:

• deliver a national VET system that provides high quality, responsive and accessible education and training to boost productivity
• support Australians to obtain the skills and capabilities they need to obtain well-paid, secure jobs
• ensure Australia has the skilled workforce it needs now and into the future, with TAFE at the heart of the VET sector.

National priorities are areas where governments have agreed require focused effort to address critical skills and workforce shortages. The agreed inaugural national priorities are:

• gender equality
• Closing the Gap
• supporting the Net Zero transformation
• sustaining essential care services
• developing Australia’s sovereign capability and food security
• ensuring Australia’s digital and technology capability
• delivering reforms to improve the regulation of VET qualifications and quality.

More information about the National Skills Agreement

The latest statistics from the Australian Cruise Association highlight that more than 150 cruise ships have visited Western Australia and injected over $333 million into WA economy in 2022-23.
The State's cruise sector created more than 1,000 jobs for the state.​
The upcoming cruise season kicks off with the arrival of the Coral Princess on Saturday, 11 November, bringing 2,000 passengers into the Port of Fremantle. 
In 2023-24, cruise ships will visit WA more than 140 times across WA's seven active ports at Albany, Busselton, Broome, Esperance, Exmouth, Fremantle and Geraldton.

The "Drive the Dream" campaign invites travellers to explore Western Australia as the ultimate destination for a self-drive holiday, and follows Ricciardo and his best mate Blake on their roadtrip from Perth to Exmouth along the Coral Coast Highway.
The campaign launched in Singapore last week.
Singapore is home to the Singapore Grand Prix F1 Night Race and has many F1 and Daniel Ricciardo fans. Singapore was WA’s second largest international market in 2019, with many Singaporeans interested in road trip holidays and exploring WA regions.
Find out more about "Drive the Dream"

THEATRE 180 have been honoured at the Western Australian Heritage Awards 2023, announced as winners in the Contribution by a Community-Based Organisation category. THEATRE 180 produces heritage theatre productions that tell the stories of key figures and events in Western Australia’s history in a range of styles. It tours extensively throughout the state, appealing to a wide demographic. The company use oral and recorded histories to bring the past to contemporary audiences and Executive Director Rebecca Davis in accepting the award said that THEATRE 180 'believe passionately in the importance of understanding our past in order to reflect on the present and thereby dream our future.'

Explore the 2023 WA Heritage Awards winners here

Those working in the outdoor industry or who have an interest in this industry are invited to share their thoughts about climate change. A survey was originally conducted in 2021 and 2023 results will allow a comparison and inform future outdoor industry projects. 

 To be involved in this national survey undertaken by the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland visit the Climate Change Industry Survey 2023

Filmmakers will have the chance to compete for a share of $75,500 as part of a new short film competition launched last week. Established by PerthNow in partnership with SAE Creative Media Institute, the Best Australian Short Film Competition invites both emerging and established filmmakers nationwide to submit their original short films. The competition offers a cash first prize of $30,000, as well as scholarship opportunities, with selected films also screening on the PerthNow website. SAE will offer a $10,000 scholarship for a Bachelor’s degree in animation or film as part of the competition. The competition is supported by Seven Perth, Screenwest, and The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

​Read more at if.com.au

The Modern Award Review was announced on 15 September 2023. As per the commitment made in Revive, Minister Burke requested the Fair Work Commission investigate existing award coverage and minimum standards in the arts and culture sector, including potential coverage gaps, as part of this review. A discussion paper will be issued on 6 November and submissions will be invited in response by 4 December 2023. Consultations with interested parties will be held between 11-12 December 2023 and 22 January-2 February 2024. 
Peak body for the visual arts, NAVA, is undertaking a sector survey to help unpack arts sector Award coverage gaps. NAVA has set recommended minimum standards for the payment of artists and arts workers through the Code of Practice for Visual Arts, Craft and Design since 2001. The most recent edition of the Code was endorsed by the Australian Government in January 2023, as part of the National Cultural Policy, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.

Read more at NAVA
Learn more an contribute to the review at the Fair Work Commission