1. CLAIRE FIELD ON THE NUMBERS THAT WILL DRIVE VET FUNDING
Wednesday’s 24 November 2021, Campus Morning Mail featured an article by Claire Field on the numbers that will drive VET funding. Claire, felt that “if the Commonwealth puts enough money on the table for states and territories then reforms are likely.” Given the National Skills Agreement is yet to be signed, and with both the Federal Government and Opposition talking about skills and apprenticeships last week, the prospects of VET funding becoming a feature in the upcoming election campaign is clear.
Claire writes, “Thanks to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, we now have more frequent releases of data on government-funded VET activity and can better monitor emerging trends.
Given that the majority of VET funding comes from states and territories, any and all federal election promises will only have a significant impact if they are agreed to by the premiers and chief ministers. But if the Commonwealth puts enough money on the table for states and territories then reforms are likely.
The starting point for reform of government-funded VET looked like this at 30 June 2021:
- more than 1 million enrolments, up 21 per cent on the first half of 2017 and an increase of 10 per cent on 2020
- 60 per cent of government funded enrolments in TAFE and other government providers, 32 per cent in private providers, 3 per cent in community education providers and 5 per cent in other providers
In the last five years there has been growth in government-funded enrolments across all provider types, except community education providers (where sadly government-funded enrolments have declined 17 per cent). TAFEs, by contrast, saw a 17 per cent increase, while private providers and other providers experienced 32 per cent and 34 per cent increases respectively.
2. ENERGY & ELECTROTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY SKILLS WEBINAR
The Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is inviting industry stakeholders to register for the forthcoming Energy and Electrotechnology Industry Skills Webinar! The webinar will discuss new technologies and work practices, as well as the growth of renewable systems is impacting the skills requirements of the ESI Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Rail, and Electrotechnology sectors.
The webinar complements the response, the respective Industry Reference Committees are undertaking to revise qualifications and develop new Units of Competency and Skill Sets to address priority skill needs, incorporating contemporary industry practices and systems, and current regulatory requirements.
The circular alerts readers to not miss out on the event, inviting readers to be part of our Energy and Electrotechnology Industry Skills Webinar to hear about these projects and help shape Australia’s Energy and Electrotechnology workforce of the future.
The webinar will be on Thursday, 9 December 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEDT.
Registrations close 12:00pm AEDT, Thursday 9 December 2021.
For more information contact Australian Industry Standards (AIS) on (03) 9604 7200 or email to enquiries@aistnds.org.au
3. GAS INDUSTRY SKILLS WEBINAR
An industry skills webinar will also be held by Australian Industry Standards (AIS) for the Gas Industry. The webinar will explore implementation of new automation and digital technologies is changing job roles and skills requirements in the Gas Supply industry.
The webinar complements the response, the Gas Industry Reference Committee is revising qualifications and developing new Units of Competency to align with current industry practice, the integration of new technology and the introduction of hydrogen to existing gas networks.
The circular alerts readers to not miss out, be part of our Gas Industry Skills Webinar to hear about these projects and help shape Australia’s Gas workforce of the future.
The webinar will be on Thursday, 2 December 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEDT.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
Registrations close 1:00pm AEDT, Thursday 2 December 2021.
For more information contact Australian Industry Standards (AIS) on (03) 9604 7200 or email to enquiries@aistnds.org.au
4. GAS INDUSTRY TRAINING PACKAGE UPDATED ENDORSED
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) advises that the Gas Industry Training Package has been updated with amendments and has been endorsed by Skills Ministers for implementation. Release 3.0 of the Training Package now includes competencies skills required to work safely with hydrogen, store and reinject gas into the pipelines, and install and operate data logging equipment.
- Data Loggers – five new Units of Competency and three existing Units of Competency for working with gas meters have been updated.
- Hydrogen Technology – six new Units of Competency, three new Skill Sets and 13 updated units.
- Storage and Reinjection of Gas – three new Units of Competency and two updated Units of Competency. These Units of Competency for underground storage allow for contextualisation for Carbon Capture Storage which are designed to help accelerate Australia’s decarbonisation
The endorsed Training Package materials are now available on Training.Gov: UEG – GAS INDUSTRY TRAINING PACKAGE (RELEASE 3.0)
For more information on these projects, please contact the Industry Skills Specialist, Shaun Thomas: M: 0409 505 196 | E: shaun.thomas@aistnds.org.au
5. ABS RELEASES 2021 AUSTRALIAN UPDATE VERSION OF ANZSCO
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has advised that a new version of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) 2021, Australian Update, has been released, effective 23 November 2021. ABS states, in relation to the new update, the “release of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) was limited to a targeted update of occupations relating to agriculture, cyber security and naval ship building.
The updates in this release have been made by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in consultation with other Australian Government Agencies.” …
“The ANZSCO 2021, Australian Update reflects a review of occupations associated with the following four areas:
- agriculture, forestry and fisheries
- cyber security
- naval ship building, and
- emerging occupations identified by the National Skills Commission¹.
These areas are based on priority areas for the Australian labour market and were chosen to test a new approach to updating this classification. This update represents the first incremental step of a larger program of work to update this classification. Other priority areas are expected to be addressed in future regular updates of the ANZSCO.
This update has been undertaken in respect of the Australian labour market only. It has not considered changes in the New Zealand labour market. This is the fourth revision since ANZSCO was established in 2006.”
The new ANZSCO 2021, Australian Update, is available and data downloads can be accessed at the ABS website, as follows: www.abs.gov.au/anzsco
6. ELECTRICAL INCIDENT INVESTIGATION WEBINAR – FREE
Join Chris Halliday in this free webinar on issues around electric incident investigation followed by a Q&A session. The presentation will look at:
– The investigation process and traps for the inexperienced.
– Tools that assist with investigations.
– Industry misconceptions.
Topic: Electric Incident Investigations
Time/Date: 3pm to 3.30pm 30th November 2021
Chris will entertain and facilitate questions around electrical incident investigations in the Q&A session set aside to help develop understanding and awareness about this serious issue. The session may go a little longer if there are lots of questions.
Presenter, Chris Halliday is the leading trainer of electric shock investigations in Australia, and he has trained thousands. He has over 40 years in the electrical industry, specialising in electric incident/shock investigation training, electrical safety and power quality strategy. He started his own business, PowerLogic, in 2005.
REGISTER FOR THE FREE AND LIVELY EVENT HERE
7. VET FEE RELIEF UNTIL 1 JULY 2022
ASQA reports on its latest news webpage, 26 November 2022 that the he Australian Government announced a regulatory fee relief package of $27.8 million to support the education sector, including an extension of fee relief for vocational education and training (VET) providers until 1 July 2022, with further extensions until the end of 2022 for ELICOS only providers.
The article on the webpage states, “The Minister for Education and Youth, the Hon Alan Tudge MP, and the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, announced the regulatory fee relief package for VET providers and accredited course owners until 1 July 2022. Additional grants are included in the funding, with ELICOS-only providers to be given additional support with fee relief for the duration of 2022.
The additional fee relief provides incentives for institutions and students and ensures international students are not disadvantaged from or prevented from returning to study in Australia.
The announcement means some fees and charges will be waived for:
- VET providers and accredited course owners until 1 July 2022
- 86 standalone ELICOS providers until 31 December 2022.”
8. SURGE IN DIY HOME RENOVATIONS FUELLING POTENTIAL ASBESTOS-RELATED HEALTH CRISIS
Sean Carroll, Editor at Electrical Connection reports in the 22 November 2021 edition of a concern in a surge in DIY home renovations during the pandemic they may have contributed to fuelling a potential asbestos-related health crisis. The article stares, “Australians are being asked to think twice about asbestos as new research reveals a surge in DIY home improvements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey of 1,506 home improvers commissioned by the Asbestos Safety Eradication Agency, for National Asbestos Awareness Week (22-28 November 2021) found:
- 46% of those intending to do home improvement works cited pandemic-related motivations for doing so;
- 38% have worked on a risky property built between 1940 and 1990, the decades of greatest concern and;
- 28% of those who had found asbestos admitted to illegally disposing of it, most commonly placing it in their household bin or a neighbour’s.
Asbestos Safety Eradication Agency chief executive Justine Ross says the increase in home improvement has prompted concerns over an increase in asbestos exposure:
“For anyone who thinks asbestos-related diseases are a thing of the past, think again. Asbestos is still causing cancer in Australians.
“Around 700 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in Australia each year and the estimated annual health system expenditure for mesothelioma is more than $27 million annually.
It is estimated that over six million tonnes of legacy asbestos remain in the built environment …”
9. SPEAK UP SAVES LIVES APP -USE AND SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS
SafeWork NSW is promoting its Speak Up Save Lives app. The circular of 25 November 2021 promoting the app states, “Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility. But not everyone feels empowered to raise safety concerns when they see them.
The Speak Up Save Lives app enables anyone in the workplace to speak up, and anonymously raise safety concerns. This simple step can prevent unsafe incidents from happening and protect staff from injury or illness.
It’s important for all workers to feel comfortable to identify and raise safety concerns with their supervisor or Health and Safety Representative in the first instance. But when they can’t, the Speak Up Save Lives app gives them another option.
SafeWork NSW has developed a communication pack with content that employers and workers can share among colleagues, employees, members and support networks to help raise awareness of the Speak Up Save Lives app.
Download the communication pack and share with your networks today and help create safer workplaces. Find out more information on the SafeWork NSW website.
10. GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR DOMESTIC SMOKE ALARM LAWS
The Master Electricians Australia (MEA), MEA Industry News this week (225 November 2021) draws attention to the issue of domestic smoke alarm laws. The article states, “The MEA Technical team has put together a guidance document regarding certification of domestic smoke alarms in Queensland.
The document provides guidance on what information Building Certifiers require to meet obligations determining the installed smoke alarm system’s compliance.
FIND OUT MORE HERE – (MEA login required)
11. STANDARDS AUSTRALIA BUILDS BETTER ACCESS TO STANDARDS
Standards Australia has announced in its latest e-News newsletter of 25 November 2021, that it has entered into an arrangement with the with the Housing Industry Association (HIA) on a new into a new distribution agreement. Stating, “This month, we announced that we’d entered into a new distribution agreement with the Housing Industry Association (HIA).
HIA will now host and offer paid access to relevant Australian standards on their website as part of this agreement. This new distribution agreement aims to help increase essential Standards Australia’s content in the building sector. You can read more about the agreement HERE.
An arrangement has also been entered into with Master Builders Association of NSW (MBA) that sees Standards Australia continue to achieve its promise to provide better access to Australian Standards™ under its Distribution and Licensing Policy Framework. You can read more about the agreement and how to access the standards HERE.
12. QUARTERLY SAFETY REPORT RELEASED FOR JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2021
NSW Resources Regulator’s Mine Safety News of 25 November 2021 advises that the NSW Resources Regulator has published the latest Quarterly Safety Report for July to September 2021.
The article states, it “has been released to assist industry to improve safety management systems and undertake risk assessments at their sites. The report details incidents and trends relating to hazard management, in addition to sector-specific information.”
As a high-hazard regulator, NSW Resources Regulator focus on compliance with legislative requirements associated with principal and other high-risk hazards. ‘Roads or other vehicle operating areas’, ‘fires or explosion’ and ‘air quality or dusts and other airborne contaminants’ are hazards that feature regularly in incident notifications to the Regulator.
The Report contains National and international significant events including fatalities, Notifiable incidents relating to hazards, industry sub-sector profiles, and the latest compliance and enforcement information.
Access a copy of the report HERE.
13. ELECTRICITY PRICE TRENDS – BREAKING DOWN THE COSTS
The 25 November 2021 joint newsletter of Energy Networks Australia (ENA) and Australian Energy Council (AEC), EnergyInsider reports on the downward trend in electricity prices. Carl Kitchen takes a look behind the price reductions, and break down costs across the states. The article states, “the AEMC’s residential electricity price trends report shows the ongoing fall in power prices for households.”
The lower costs associated with these components of residential electricity bills are expected to be driven by new capacity coming into the grid, and particularly renewable generation to replace plant retirements, and lower costs associated with the Federal Government’s Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET).
The report highlights that wholesale and environmental costs, largely driven by lower large-scale generation certificate costs, are falling with the noticeable exception of the Australian Capital Territory. Retail costs have also decreased in most jurisdictions and retailer market offers in jurisdictions are still coming down.”
For more, contact Carl Kitchen, Australian Energy Council.
14. INVESTORS SHIFT FOCUS TO BATTERIES AND SOLAR, BUT GO COOL ON HYDROGEN
Michael Mazengarb reported on the 25 November 2021 edition of the RenewEconomy newsletter that, “investors are eager to transition their funds into battery storage and solar energy projects, as the energy transition accelerates the flow of money out of fossil fuels and into clean energy.” Concurrently, despite the hype he notes that the “enthusiasm for hydrogen appears to have tempered, a new report suggests.”
The article states, “The changing trends in investor appetites have been detailed in a report prepared by law firm Ashurst, which surveyed almost a thousand senior managers involved in investment decisions in companies across the G20, including Australia, with an average annual turnover of US$8.8 billion (A$12.2 billion).
The responses show a surge in investor interest in battery storage technologies and solar energy projects over the last 12 months, and most opportunities are found in North and South America, while both the UK and the Australasian regions are falling behind.”
15. NEW LAWS TO SUPPORT OFFSHORE ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Three new bills passed the final stage in the Senate on the 25 November 2021, which establishes the regulatory framework around electricity infrastructure projects in Commonwealth waters. The Government asserts that the “new laws will support the development of Australia’s offshore energy industry and deliver new jobs and investment in offshore windfarms and transmission projects.”
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the new laws build on the Morrison Government’s strong record of enabling new renewables projects and the delivery of critical energy infrastructure.
“The Morrison Government’s offshore electricity infrastructure package will unlock development of a new industry that will create thousands of skilled regional jobs, strengthen our economy, and support a more affordable and secure energy system,” Minister Taylor said.
16. GOV SECURES CRITICAL GAS SUPPLY AND INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE FUTURE
The Federal Government has announced, 29 November 2021 that it had released the first full National Gas Infrastructure Plan (NGIP) and the Future Gas Infrastructure Investment Framework to help secure our gas supplies over the next 20 years. The Plan is part of the Government’s gas-led recovery agenda, which sets out a long-term development pathway that locks in supply for households and manufacturers, and five priority actions for east coast gas supply and infrastructure out to 2040.
Key findings of the NGIP include:
- At least one new basin will need to be brought online before 2030 to meet projected east coast gas demand;
- Critical basins to unlock out to 2030 include the Narrabri gas project (NSW), the Beetaloo sub-basin (NT), the Galilee basin (QLD), and the North Bowen basin (QLD).
- Strategic expansions to existing pipeline capacity and the construction of entirely new pipelines will be needed to transport gas supplies to east coast markets; and
- Expanded transportation capacity from north to south is required as northern supply expands and southern supply declines.
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said, “The Morrison Government is serious about gas and acknowledges the important role it plays supporting jobs, food-production, manufacturing, industry, exports and energy supply. … The National Gas Infrastructure Plan supports a strategic approach to gas infrastructure investment over the next 20 years and aims to guide industry to priority areas that need to be addressed to avoid a supply shortfall.”
The Government has committed to developing an ongoing series of NGIPs, with the next report to be delivered in late 2022.
For more information visit the link to the 2021 NATIONAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN