Apprenticeships, Employment & Training Provider | VERTO
VERTO is an award winning, not-for-profit organisation assisting businesses and individuals with all their apprenticeship, employment and training needs. Our expertise covers a range of areas including Aboriginal services, Australian apprenticeships services, disability services, employment services and vocational training to help businesses, individuals and local industry to thrive. Our mission is to positively impact the lives of individuals and communities and we’ve built a track record of exemplary customer service over 35 years, built around an ethical approach.You'll find the team in over 40 locations across New South Wales.
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Four reasons why you need to upskill
By Jason Foster, General Manager, Apprenticeships and New Business
At some point in your career, you’re going to need to evaluate your skills. It happens to us all, whether you’ve been in one career your entire working life or have hopped from job to job.
In our work at VERTO, helping people to find the right way forward in the career path they want is core to what we do. Here’s a list of the top four reasons why we think you need to examine up-skilling as an option.
It’s a rapidly changing world out there
We live in a time when the world around us is changing. As we move even further into the digital age, technology change is driving a massive shift in the way work. This is only going to change further as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) and other similar technologies take hold. The first line of defence for your career is ensuring that you are ready for this and are taking steps to plan for how your career will be impacted.
My first tip is to look at how you can upskill to take advantage of this trend. For example, with technology now delivering data to our fingertips how can you upskill yourself to better operate in this type of environment? This is especially important for older workers, where the adjustment to technology can be a tougher task. It’s the reason why programs such as Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers exist: to help you find the right career option at a time when change is rapid.
Losing your job
It’s the most dramatic reason but that doesn’t remove the fact that this can happen at any time. Whether it’s redundancy or a whole career ceasing to exist, losing your job can be a very difficult pill to swallow.
Options exist to help you find your feet again. Programs such as Career Transition Assistance or the Skills Checkpoint program referenced earlier can help you make the switch to a new career or role a much easier change.
Certification for the win
Like it or not, holding a certification in this highly competitive jobs market can make the difference in so many industries between being selected for an interview and being simply overlooked.
Employers are looking for candidates that have a recognised, tested skill set that they can bring into their business. It’s a something that you can easily check off by ensuring that you have taken the necessary steps to upskill yourself. A good example is in motor mechanics, where the role has changed so rapidly in the past 10 years that the need to retrain is paramount.
Better qualifications equals more opportunity
Following on from the above point, updating your skill set provides more opportunities not only by providing you with certification, but also by growing the opportunities you can apply for.
For example, gaining new skills can help you to transition into an entirely new career path, one that you may previously have overlooked or may not have known existed. There’s a known skills shortage in Australia, meaning that up skilling can provide huge benefits both for yourself and the economy. For example, we have a huge shortage in commercial chefs, meaning that if you’re prepared to shift careers, you can be almost assured of finding a role.
VERTO has a range of options available to help you find the right way forward. There are services and programs out there that can take some of the stress out of the situation, help you explore your options, and get you quickly on the path to your next job. Contact our team at VERTO to find out more about our programs and how we can help you.
VERTO job seekers a "credit to Cowra"
Four Cowra jobseekers have donned the fluro work gear after gaining employment through VERTO.
Nicholas Higgins, Baylie Trudget, Thomas Percy and Trevor Wickey all started employment with Workcontrol in the Central West last week.
Nicholas is a 25 year old Indigenous job seeker who worked in aged care until recently.
Nick wanted a career change, so VERTO enrolled him in traffic control training and he is now employed by Workcontrol.
Baylie, 19 and Thomas, 23, were keen to get into the workforce and are now valued members of Workcontrol.
Trevor is a 23 year old Indigenous job seeker who like Nicholas, was wanting a career change and was interested in working in traffic control.
They completed Work Zone Traffic Control training over two days through VERTO Western College earlier this month.
In order to complete the training, VERTO provided the job seekers with Personal Protective Equipment (i.e. work boots, reflective high-vis shirts, long pants, hats and CBS radios) via the Australian Government's Employment Fund.
VERTO's Team Leader in Cowra, Annie Crasti, said she was very proud of the job seekers.
"The VERTO Cowra team is so proud of the dedication and commitment shown by Nicholas, Baylie, Thomas and Trevor to complete their training and find employment," Mrs Crasti said.
"These fine young men are a credit to their families and the Cowra region, and should be regarded as role models for other young men in the community."
As published in the Cowra Guardian, March 31 2019 - 4:00PM
VERTO Welcomes Federal Government’s Commitment to Apprenticeships and Training
April 3, 2019
VERTO chief executive, Ron Maxwell, today welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to apprenticeships and training in the 2019-2020 Federal Budget.
Mr. Maxwell said as an Apprenticeship Network Provider in New South Wales, VERTO has been calling for a renewed investment into the vocational education and training sector (VET), and stimulus measures to boost dwindling apprenticeship numbers.
“We welcome the Federal Government’s $525 million skills package to reform the VET sector, which includes doubling incentive payments for employers to $8,000 per apprenticeship placement and a new $2,000 incentive payment for apprentices” Mr. Maxwell said.
“I also congratulate the Federal Government on their target to create up to 80,000 new apprenticeships in industries with skills shortages.”
Mr. Maxwell said he was also pleased to see a $132.4 million investment over four years to build an enhanced approach to skills development by establishing a National Skills Commission and National Careers Institute to drive long-term reforms in the VET sector.
“I welcome the Federal Government’s strategic approach to reforming the VET sector through the creation of these two important entities.”
Mr. Maxwell also welcomed the Federal Government’s significant program of reform of the employment services sector as announced by the Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, the Hon. Kelly O’Dwyer MP, on 20 March, 2019.
“I look forward to seeing more detail of the Government’s digital transformation plan for the jobactive program over the coming months,” Mr. Maxwell said.
What to do when you are made redundant
By Jason Foster - General Manager, Apprenticeships and New Business
Being made redundant can be a tough time for anyone, and it can leave you at a loss as to what to do next. It can be particularly harder for older people and those who have been made redundant because their industry or occupation is in decline. When you have enjoyed a long career in the same industry, and even sometimes the same employer, finding yourself on the end of a redundancy can feel devastating.
Unfortunately, with our workplaces changing so rapidly, redundancies are becoming more common. A global report found that Australia has a fairly high redundancy rate compared with other developed nations, but the good news is that the same report also found that 70 per cent of those made redundant found new employment in a relatively short period of time.
At VERTO, we see people who have been made redundant regularly, and work with them to provide access to the right training and support to get them back into the workforce. And when it comes to returning to the workforce, there are a number of options that can be explored, from building new skills to retraining for a new career.
Building transferable skills
For many, the key to finding their next role is simply about building the skills that people need to succeed in all types of workplaces and roles. For many older Australians, this can centre around digital skills and technology such as building confidence in using devices like tablets and smartphones, or platforms like social media.
Gaining qualifications in existing occupation or industry
For some, the best course of action is to gain formal qualifications in the industry they already work in. With the rapid pace of technology, jobs and industries are changing quickly, and more and more employers like to see up-to-date qualifications. Being competency-based, a VET qualification is a great way to show a prospective employer that you have the practical skills to do the job.
Exploring a whole new career path
With skills shortages in many occupations and industries, we are seeing a growth in mature-age apprentices. While this can mean adjusting to a reduced pay packet during training, for many it has led to a long-term, rewarding career in a new space. In some areas, such as Commercial Cookery, the demand for workers far outstrips supply, so in these industries there are many job opportunities and retraining can be a good option.
In recent years, the Australian Government has funded a number of programs that are designed to support people who have lost their jobs to find their feet. VERTO delivers a number of these programs across Australia, and one that is well-suited to many people who have been made redundant is the Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers program.
The Skills Checkpoint program is designed for Australians who are aged forty-five to 70 and have recently become unemployed or are at risk of doing so. One of the key benefits of the program, in my mind, is that it provides you with a personalised career assessment, which looks at your options and works with you to choose the best pathway. The program will also help you to determine what training you need to get there and access funding to complete it.
Even if you are not eligible for Skills Checkpoint, VERTO offers a number of other programs and employment services that can help you explore your options and take the next step.
Although redundancy can feel like an ending, it can also be the beginning of a new chapter. There are services and programs out there that can take some of the stress out of the situation, help you explore your options, and get you quickly on the path to your next job. Contact our team at VERTO to find out more about our programs and how we can help you.
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