Training Package Products including qualifications, skill sets and units of competency for the Events, Travel, Tourism and Hospitality sectors, Cookery and Kitchen Operations and the Responsible Service of Alcohol have been updated in order to meet the current and future needs of industry.

The updated Training Package SIT - Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package (Release 2.0) has been published on the national register and can be accessed here.

• ​A new website has been created in partnership with the Australian Hotels Association WA and Tourism WA and connects job seekers with available tourism and hospitality roles to help employers fill vacancies.  
• This purpose-built platform will exclusively host tourism and hospitality jobs, while offering job seekers training, visa support, seasonal opportunities and information on regional destinations.   
• The jobs site is free for both employers and job seekers. 
• With the WA border now open, and international and interstate visitors back in Western Australia, there is a need for additional workers across many businesses throughout the State, particularly in regional areas. 

​Click here to access the new website

 

• Thousands of international and domestic tourists are expected to witness the natural phenomenon when the sun, moon and earth align at 11.27am on April 20, 2023.
•  The State Government has committed $19.3 million for Total Solar Eclipse preparation in addition to mid-year review funding, which brings the total spend to more than $21 million 
• The funding is for Beach, road and telecommunications upgrades for Exmouth region

 
Exmouth has been identified as the best land-based place in the world to view the eclipse, with the Exmouth Peninsula set to experience full darkness.
 
Other locations around WA will see a partial solar eclipse, including Perth witnessing a 70 per cent eclipse, Geraldton about 80 per cent, Carnarvon 95 per cent, Karratha 97 per cent and Coral Bay 99 per cent.
 
While the actual eclipse is relatively short, Tourism WA expects visitors to stay in the region for around five days.
 
Thousands of tourists are expected to visit Ningaloo Coastal Reserve, Ningaloo Marine Park, Montebello Marine Park, Pilbara Inshore Islands, Cape Range National Park, Barrow Island Marine Management Area and the Giralia Station.
 
Read the full media statement here

Apprentices
Apprentices in high-demand industries (including Chefs) will get up to $5000 in cash payments for the first two years of their training but wage subsidies will be scaled back for employers.
The renamed Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Scheme has been re targeted so that apprentices, as well as employers, receive financial incentives.
Under the scheme, from July 1 employers in “priority occupations” will receive 10 per cent wage subsidy for first and second-year apprentices and 5 per cent for third years. The subsidy caps out at $15,000. Employers in regional areas will receive an additional 5 per cent wage subsidy for each of the three years of an apprentice’s training.
In a measure aimed at tackling dropout rates among young tradies, those aged between 15 and 20 will receive a follow-up call within three months of starting their apprenticeships to iron out any early issues and the government will fund 2500 more in-training support places.
Tourism Research
The Budget allocates $2 million for a new “visitor economy online employment and skills platform” as well as $4.8 million for Tourism Research Australia “to capture and analyse more tourism and visitor data to help businesses operating in the visitor economy make improved business decisions,”
Working Holiday makers
To help address skills shortages, the current caps on Working Holiday Makers will have a one off 30% increase in 2022/23.
Training
With the aim of encouraging small businesses to train new staff and upskill existing employees, small businesses that invest in training new employees will receive a $120 tax deduction for every $100 spent on training employees.
Read the budget papers here

It has been 25 months since Australia banned the entry of international cruise vessels under the Biosecurity Act.

Upon the resumption, additional measures will be in place to reduce the COVID-19 risk on board ships, including enhanced pre-arrival reporting; ensuring vessels always arrive with permission to unload passengers; stress testing of emergency response systems; and engaging with the cruise industry on a safe resumption.

​Ships will also need to meet all state and territory public health requirements, with these jurisdictions to soon advise on their readiness to begin cruising.

On the 1st of December the state government announced several new marketing campaigns to attract overseas visitors and workers to the state:

• A campaign tailored to specifically address the skills shortage by attracting workers, such as backpackers for hospitality.
• A student attraction scheme will be in place to help international students choose WA as their place to study, including up to $1,500 in accommodation support for the first 5,000 students.
• A $65 million aviation fund, which will go towards re-establishing international and interstate flight routes that were disrupted by the pandemic, as well as targeting new routes including Germany, India, China and Vietnam.
• Incentives will also be offered to tourists, international students and workers in order to successfully compete with other global jurisdictions. This will include expanding the Stay and Play campaign, which offers discounts for those who stay in participating hotels, as well as vouchers for tours and experiences.
• An immediate additional $9 million funding boost to attract blockbuster international events to Perth and WA.
• $15 million to target business events to attract international conferences to Perth, an essential initiative to support CBD hotel occupancy as well as the hospitality industry.

​Read the full media statement 

Particular mention to the following award winners who have worked with FutureNow on our Career Pathways project, which is a suite of occupational guides and a website (https://www.thecareers.guide/) that has been produced to present career pathways information to prospective learners interested in employment in the hospitality, tourism and events field.
 
Live Ningaloo
Gold - Ecotourism
Bronze - Adventure Tourism
Live Ningaloo’s mission is to reclaim time in a meaningful way and give people the space to feel something. Tours are small, with ten people maximum and in-water interactions to a single group, no switching between multiple groups of people on tours.