The Workforce Development initiative focuses on providing opportunities for NGOs to build the capacity of their staff, volunteers, management committees and boards.
As well as customised training and development programs for community and disability workers, this initiative includes innovative activities to assist NGOs attract, develop and retain a suitably skilled workforce and strengthen their management practices.
Table of contents:
Communities–VET Partnership
The Communities–VET Partnership is a statewide skills recognition and training program run jointly by the Department of Communities and the Department of Employment and Training. Approximately 1000 workers and volunteers have been assisted to:
- receive recognition of prior learning and work experience
- undertake additional training to obtain formal qualifications
- develop particular skills that will help their organisations meet client needs.
The program is managed by Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE and assistance can include:
- subsidies for the cost of enrolment
- support for backfilling the positions of staff released for skills recognition and training
- subsidies to assist organisations and workers gather workplace evidence needed for recognition of prior learning
- additional funding to ensure rural and remote workers have access to training and development opportunities.
Education Pathways for Community Services Careers
This component of the workforce development initiative is designed to promote careers in the community, disability and child safety sectors to prospective and current workers. It included pilot projects in Logan, Townsville and Roma-Charleville to trial local workforce development action plans, as well as a statewide marketing and promotional campaign.
The Education Pathways for Community Service Careers were completed in December 2008. To find out about the tools and information that have been developed, visit the Real Work, Real People page, on the Community Door website designed specifically for careers in the community services sector.
E-training
The E-training resources have been developed to provide a range of online learning resources to give workers in the community and disability sectors further opportunities to obtain training and qualifications. These resources will be particularly useful for workers who find it difficult to access current training programs because of the constraints of time and distance.
Brisbane North Institute of TAFE (formerly The Open Learning Institute of TAFE) developed the resources on behalf of the Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland for the Workforce Development initiative. Consultation undertaken by Brisbane North Institute of TAFE with representatives from community, disability and child safety organisations, government agencies, training providers and the wider community has informed the development of the training materials
The resources include eight accredited units and two learning modules. They are available free of charge at http://www.communitydoor.org.au/etraining/
Community organisations are encouraged to use the resources without limitation. The following citation must be included in any use of the training units
The copyright of this resource remains the property of the State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland)
Any workers wishing to be assessed in the accredited training units will need to enrol with a training organisation. To find out about enrolling go to www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au
Strengthening Management Committees — Governance Pilot Program
The governance resources developed as a result of the work of the Governance Pilot Program consist of a set of learning resources to support skill development of NGOs management committees.
The Bradfield Nyland Group developed the materials on behalf of the Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland. The resources have been developed through an action learning research model with the NGO sector. The governance materials have been shaped by direct consultation with Indigenous communities in the pilot sites of Rockhampton, Woorabinda, Logan and Beaudesert.
You can access the governance resources free of charge at http://www.communitydoor.org.au/governance/
Minister's Awards for Excellence in Workforce Development
This awards program was established to recognise and celebrate good practice in workforce development and showcase strategies for building the capacity of the community and disability services workforces.
The awards program is managed by the Health and Community Services Workforce Council (formerly the Queensland Community Services and Health Industries Training Council). For further information go to www.workforce.org.au
Winners of the 2008 Minister's Awards for Excellence in Workforce Development were announced at a presentation ceremony in Brisbane on 18 November 2008.
Who does the Workforce Development initiative apply to?
All components of the Workforce Development initiative are available to NGOs funded by the Department of Communities or Disability Services Queensland.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License