TAFE Western Sydney and Lendlease celebrated Friday with The Hon. John Barilaro MP Minister for Skills and over 300 apprentices at the $6 billion Barangaroo South project in Sydney, to celebrate the employment of the site’s 500th apprentice and 50th Indigenous apprentice.

The Minister congratulated TAFE Western Sydney, who manages Barangaroo’s onsite training hub - the Barangaroo Skills Exchange (BSX) on their commitment to the apprenticeship system and developing long-term careers for individuals in the construction industry.

"Barangaroo is the training and skilling powerhouse for apprentices, who will carry their training through to future projects.  What is remarkable about Barangaroo is the industry-relevant, highly-customised skills that each apprentice is gaining through the Barangaroo Skills Exchange program" said the Minister.

The BSX provides workers at Barangaroo with an on-site learning space where they receive one-on-one support, attend classes or access computers to study online programs.

Lendlease Managing Director of Barangaroo South, Andrew Wilson, said partnerships between industry and training organisations were an integral component in achieving long-term careers for individuals within the construction industry.

“Lendlease is working closely with TAFE Western Sydney to create genuine career paths for people in the construction sector, right through until retirement. Importantly, the partnership has changed the careers and lives of those who have had the opportunity to train through the BSX,” said Mr Wilson.

Institute Director of TAFE Western Sydney Robin Shreeve said the BSX has redefined the way workplace learning and TAFE training is being delivered in the construction industry.

“The BSX will provide a huge injection of future-skilled workers with real industry experience and training. For the first time we have workers who would never normally attend a TAFE college, visiting the BSX to get support and undertake skilling programs that will improve their futures with new career pathways,” he said.

Since the opening of the BSX in 2012 almost 7,000 Barangaroo workers have undertaken skilling on-site, with 19,000 accredited training outcomes achieved in this time.

The BSX is supported by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and the Commonwealth Department of Education to develop training programs and deliver outcomes that would not be ordinarily possible within a traditional college setting.

The best and brightest students from TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) took centre stage at the 2015 annual TAFE SWSi Student Achievement Awards at the Bankstown Sports Club last night.

Among them was Bankstown resident, Renee McLaren, who took out the top prize, the Institute Medal and also the Business & Finance Faculty Student of the Year award.

Renee was among 22 award winners, three TAFE NSW State Medallists and three Oceania WorldSkills champions who were honoured at TAFE SWSi’s premier event of the year.

TAFE SWSi Director Peter Roberts congratulated all the award winners. “The 21st Student Achievement Awards was a celebration of South Western Sydney’s best and brightest in vocational education and training,” Mr Roberts said.

“I would like to congratulate them all and acknowledge the contribution of her family and Institute staff in supporting her studies.”

The TAFE NSW State Medals, which are presented to students who attain the highest average mark across NSW, went to three TAFE SWSi science students. They were as follows:

• Janani Vimalathithen Diploma of Laboratory Technology - Specialising in Chemical and Forensic Testing (MSL50109 – 04V04);

• Kesya Bayu the Diploma of Laboratory Technology – Pathology Testing (MSL 50109 – 06V04) and;

• Megan Gould for the Diploma of Environmental Monitoring and Technology (MSS50211 -01V01)

The Awards night also paid tribute to TAFE SWSi’s WorldSkills Oceania champions who will be part of the Australian Skillaroos team at the WorldSkills International Competition in Brazil in August. They are Floristry student Jessica Peters; Fashion Technology student Emma Hillier; and Refrigeration & Air Conditioning student Beau Kupris.

The 21^st TAFE SWSi Student Achievement Awards was proudly sponsored by Woodland Metal Spinning (Aust), Fuji Xerox Australia, Interlink Roads, National Electrical and Communication Association (NECA Group Training), University of Western Sydney (UWS), Telstra, Auburn City Council, Bankstown City Council, Country Comfort Hunts Liverpool, Group Training Association of NSW & ACT, Mara Workwear, My Gateway and Revesby Workers’ Club Ltd.

TAFE SWSi is one of Australia’s largest training organisations and has an enviable reputation for providing high quality skills training across a range of disciplines vital to growing the local, regional and state economies.

TAFE SWSi also provides training for more apprentices than any other RTO in NSW and was awarded the 2013 Australian Large Training Provider of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.

For more information about TAFE SWSi courses please visit www.SWSi.edu.au or call 13 79 74. 

St.George Banking Group has introduced Cardless Cash, a service that allows customers to withdraw up to $1,000 cash a week, without a card, conveniently and securely from their mobile phone.  

From accessing cash when cardless, to helping a family member or friend out if stranded without cash, Cardless Cash puts customers in control of their money and prevents them from being caught short.

Dhiren Kulkarni, St.George’s CIO, said Cardless Cash means customers can always access their money, even if their card is lost, stolen or not with them.

“Our customers never want to be shut off from their cash and they want quick, simple options to access and manage their money. That’s why Cardless Cash is so handy - it takes the fear out of losing or misplacing your card and puts you back in control of your money.” 

“Over 50 per cent of our customers use our mobile banking app to make payments and now they can use the app to get cash out too,” Dhiren added.

To access cash, customers simply generate a ‘cash code’ in their mobile banking app and use it at any St.George Group ATM nationwide, including BankSA and Bank of Melbourne, to withdraw cash.

Travis Tyler, St.George’s Head of Mobile, said Cardless Cash also provides customers with the ability to easily share a cash code with someone from within the app via SMS.

“Cardless Cash enables you to help the people you care about during a cash emergency. Whether you’re a parent rescuing a teenage daughter who is stranded in the city and needs a taxi home, or you’re lending some lunch money to a colleague who’s left their wallet back at the office, Cardless Cash will help bail them out with a few taps on your mobile phone.”

How does Cardless Cash work?

• Sign into your St.George mobile banking app and select the ‘cardless cash’ feature

• Select the account and enter how much you wish to withdraw (you can withdraw up to three times a day and a total of $1,000 per week)

• A ‘cash code’ is generated instantly which expires in 3 hours

• Go to any St.George Banking Group ATM and select ‘Cardless Withdrawal’ button

• Enter the cash code and the agreed amount or less to withdraw your cash

Council is interested in understanding what the people, workers and visitors to Parramatta would like to see in the new public domain/open space associated with Parramatta Square.

Parramatta Square is a 3 ha mixed use redevelopment precinct located in Parramatta CBD, bounded by Church, Macquarie, Smith and Darcy Streets and will include, offices, a new University of Western Sydney campus, public library, council offices and the reported 90 storey Aspire building that will include conference facilities, a new hotel and residential apartments. 

For the past 4 months Council has been busy preparing the project brief and engaging a dynamic and experienced multi-disciplinary design team to lead the design of the public space. The selected design team is headed by James Mather Delaney + Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Tonkin Zulaikha Greer + Gehl Architects.

To help them design the space you want to see, Council would like to invite you or any of your staff members to have your say on what you would like to see in that space or activities that should be undertaken in that space.

Council is keen to hear your views so please take the opportunity to come to the Parramatta Farmers Market in Centenary Square this Friday, 26 June between 8:00am and 11:00am.

Have you had your say?

The “Making Western Sydney Greater” survey  is targeted to business owners and managers, and supported by WSBC, William Buck, St George and UWS. 

We’re focused on driving positive change for the needs you identify.  Research from the first survey has already been used in a submission to Government in May 2015.  If you want to have your say on the issues affecting you or your business, we encourage you to join the conversation here

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2090112/a9fefc53e471

The survey takes under 10 minutes of your time, and is the most valuable tool we have to advocate on your behalf.

Join the conversation and make Western Sydney Greater.

Download your copy of the first research findings here.

Gallop Solutions’ very own CEO, Daniel Davis shared his business success lessons and insights at the last WSBC Business Leaders Luncheon held on Thursday the 28^th of May. The sold out event saw 250 people pack the room to hear how they could ensure they are leading their business to leverage the opportunities presented by the massive growth in Western Sydney.

‘Opportunity’ was the key message of the day; how to grab it and use it to better your business and enhance growth. We heard how Greater Western Sydney is the fastest growing region in the country and how tapping into the +2 million population and more than 240,000 businesses could just be that piece of the puzzle you were looking for. We walked away knowing that seeing holes in the market before anyone else and thinking outside the box were the real secrets to success!

Here are the five key points that we’ve taken away from it and want to share with you:

1.   The Expansion Formula – The holy grail of all formulas! In order to grow, move forward and expand, complete these three steps and watch your company prosper:

“Expansion Formula:

1.   PROVIDE GOOD POLICY.

2.   MAKE IT EASILY KNOWABLE.

3.   BE STRENUOUS IN MAKING SURE IT IS FOLLOWED"

In other words, providing good policy is outlining the ‘rules of the game’ and how your business operates. Making it easily knowable is keeping the message simple, visible, and available at all times. Be strenuous with the guidelines by implementing team training, measuring KPIs and regular reporting.

2.    The 7 Ingredients of Structure – Structure your business robustly into the 7 Divisions and you’ll have a strong foundation from which to rule the business world. Divide your company into an Executive team, an Establishment team, a Sales and Marketing team, a Finance team, a Delivery team, a Quality assurance team and a team that attracts New Clients and you’ve got a recipe for success! Start by having clear defined roles and then focus on filling them with the right people. You are ‘The Pilot who has the Dream’, it is important that YOU take responsibility for this.

3.    Board of Directors – If opportunity is key, then having a Board of Directors helping you run your business is a no brainer. Why not gather together a group of people who have different skill sets and can bring something new to the table? Imagine having the support of a group of professionals who can share experiences you may not have and who have your best interests at heart – the opportunities are endless. This does not mean a paid board necessarily; the key is an Advisory Board of people who are deep in knowledge and generous in their spirit of sharing it.

4.    Monitoring Performance – Running your business with statistics enables you to create company performance indicators. Could you drive your car without a dashboard? The same applies in business; statistics for each area ensures you always have your finger on the pulse. Predict when you are at capacity and may need to hire or outsource, monitor how each team is performing, what they are producing and celebrate your successes as you go – not just in retrospect!

5.    Be Prepared – In every way possible, have a business plan with clear directions of where you want to go. Live it, breathe it and revisit it as often as possible and adapt it to the changes that will inevitably happen around you. Build a business structure with the numbers (i.e. statistics) behind it, if the numbers don’t work, the business won’t work! How do you do this? Read each of the previous points above and adopt them as your own.

The opportunity to leverage the business growth happening in Western Sydney is now. Research

the market, look for gaps to fill and steer your ship into the path of expansion, prosperity and success! Those gaps may not be product innovation or expensive marketing campaigns; they may just be as simple as providing extraordinary service which clients rave about, keeps them coming back and even makes them refer you to their connections.

To find out more about how Gallop Solutions helps businesses to adopt all of the above and achieve evolution and growth, contact Caroline Gilroy on 0488 335 010 or cgilroy@gallopsolutions.com

You may be eligible for complimentary tickets to one of Gallop Solutions business leader events or seminars!

Parramatta City Council has been invited to work with Transport NSW to determine the best financial model to underpin the first stage of the $1 billion Western Sydney Light Rail project.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Scott Lloyd says he and CEO Greg Dyer today met with State Transport Minister Andrew Constance when they were told that, contrary to recent media reports, no decision has been made on the preferred first route of the light rail network.

Cr Lloyd said the Minister did confirm that the initial ‘spine’ of the network will pass through the heart of the Parramatta CBD, most likely along Macquarie Street and close to the new Parramatta Square development.

“But Mr Constance also made it clear that no decision would be made on the precise first route until potential passenger numbers and financial feasibility had been thoroughly investigated,” Cr Lloyd said.

“We also re-affirmed to the Minister Council’s strong preference for a route from Westmead to Epping via Carlingford as the first stage of the network, which could later be expanded to Macquarie Park, Castle Hill and Sydney Olympic Park.”

“A Light Rail Network from Westmead to Epping would have high passenger numbers taking in major residential and business centres as well as key education, health and community facilities.

“For the network to expand we need the first stage to be a success and we believe a Westmead to Epping route would make the project financially viable.”

Parramatta City Council has proposed an expanded Local Government Area with the scale and capacity to drive Sydney’s future economic growth and development in response to the State Government’s ‘Fit for the Future’ local government reform process.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Scott Lloyd said the proposal would create a new Parramatta LGA which would be at the centre of Sydney’s largest growth corridor and would provide the basis for improving community services and value for money for ratepayers.

The proposal would see the boundaries of the Parramatta local government area redrawn to include the whole of the current Parramatta and Holroyd LGAs, and portions of the Auburn LGA, Ryde LGA, and the Hills and Hornsby council areas.

The new council’s boundaries would be defined using existing infrastructure and the natural landscape wherever possible, and would incorporate the business hubs at Macquarie Park, Epping and Sydney Olympic Park.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to redefine the future of local government in NSW and is strongly aligned with the Government’s Metropolitan Strategy, ‘A Plan for Growing Sydney’”, Cr Lloyd said.

“We believe the current scale and capacity of our council make is difficult to maximise Parramatta’s potential as Sydney’s dual CBD, and an expanded council should be created with a stronger revenue base and improved resources.

“A new LGA would bring with it a significantly expanded residential, commercial and industrial rate base capable of generating at least $500 million a year in revenue to provide improved services for the community. It would also allow the council to become a true partner to the State and Federal Governments in supporting the ongoing growth in the geographic centre of global Sydney.

“Parramatta could not respond directly to the Government’s proposed merger model for our LGA as we were unable to secure support to carry out the analysis required from our neighbours, Holroyd, Auburn, Ryde and the Hills councils.

“Our model will not only benefit Parramatta, it will benefit all communities in the new LGA through the council’s increased capacity to deliver services and support growth.”

Cr Lloyd said Parramatta will ask the State Government to establish specific legislation for the new council similar to the arrangements currently in place under the ‘City of Sydney Act’.

This would recognise the administrative and economic importance of the Parramatta region, and facilitate a coordinated approach to planning, transport and traffic management.

“The next big step for Sydney is to develop the economic region surrounding Parramatta comprehensively and well.  Parramatta and its future development have significance well beyond the current LGA. This is an opportunity for important reform that must not be missed,” Cr Lloyd said.

Parramatta City Council is calling for a detailed review to be conducted to determine the exact scale and scope of this new proposed LGA and is seeking to work with the NSW Government to define its boundaries.

“We now have the opportunity to move from being a well-run suburban council to a strong regional council with expanded scale and capacity. We believe this would place Council in the best possible position to serve our community and contribute to the vision for Sydney.

“In terms of the future of Parramatta, doing nothing is inconceivable,” Cr Lloyd said.

Following our last business leader luncheon we had a number of enquiries from business owners for further tips on how to leverage their business growth. So we asked each of our panelists to write an article and share with us their thoughts and their client’s experiences. 

In the first of these articles, Tracy Morgan, MD of About HR, offers advice and a case study on how to develop and implement a strategy that also measures the alignment of your most important asset, employees, with the strategic direction of your organisation.

“   Businesses owners must carefully analyse their retention strategies. 

What people do in jobs and how they do it are more important than ever.

Tracy has also included a white paper that looks at addressing a major issue for Western Sydney businesses with real consequences to the survival of the business sector - managing the labour shortage and implementing effective employee retention strategies.

I recently had the privilege of being a panel member at the WSBC Leading your Organisation lunch, sharing the stage with Daniel Davis (Gallop Solutions) and Greg Travers (William Buck). The event explored the leadership challenges facing businesses working towards leveraging business growth in the Western Sydney region. One challenge the panel discussed was the importance of building an organisational structure that supports business objectives and harnesses competitive advantage.

Business managers and owners are fond of the maxim “Employees are our most important asset”, but is this simply rhetoric or is this view embedded in the organisation? In the increasing shift towards a service based economy, for many companies employees are likely to become the only source of long-term competitive advantage. Most traditional measures of HR performance – such as employee turnover rates, average time to fill; open positions, and total hours of training provided – don’t predict organisational performance. So how can we harness this advantage to maximum impact on 
organisational performance?

Perhaps the most critical factor in building a successful and sustainable business is the alignment between organisational strategy, group and individual goals. Employees need to understand organisational goals and, even more importantly, they need to understand the role they play both individually and as part of a team in achieving those goals. It is the role of leaders to communicate organisational goals effectively to employees, and to translate these into group and individual level plans and activity.

“   It is the role of leaders to communicate organisational goals 

effectively to employees, and to translate these into 

group and individual level plans and activity.

Aligning strategy with employee activity sounds simple enough, however in practice it is a complex challenge. Lack of consistent and clear communication, poor understanding of expectations and uncertainty are often barriers that impede alignment. Unfortunately many businesses view the Human Resources department as a predominantly compliance and administrative function and therefore do not see the need to align its role with the strategic plan. This is a missed opportunity, the irony being that HR is about people, which is the core of an organisation and its strategic plan.

When developing growth strategies, priority is often given to financial and physical resources, however determining the right structure and designing appropriate roles to deliver business goals is equally critical, as is ensuring you have the right people in those roles. In order to grow successfully an organisation needs to evolve and change, it needs to understand its starting point and have a clear vision of its destination. Furthermore, it needs a roadmap for change that enables everyone in the organisation to travel towards the same destination.

How do you know if you have the right structure, roles & people in your organisation to deliver on your strategy? And if that strategy is correct?

In order to understand the starting point and to plan the route towards the desired destination, the use of a business improvement and benchmarking tool may be useful.

About HR recommends the STAR Workplace Program to assess how a business develops and implements its strategy, in addition to measuring the alignment of employees with the strategic direction. The program provides a reality check, and creates a benchmark for ongoing business improvement and employee alignment.

To read a case study from an organisation that has benefited from running the STAR Workplace Program click here, or download your free copy of White Paper - Recognising Great Workplaces

If you wish to have an informal discussion about how you can optimise the role of Human Resources within your organisation please contact Tracy directly via email at tracy@abouthr.com.au

___________________________________________________________________________

Author: Tracy Morgan is the Managing Director and Founder of About HR, which works in partnership with business leaders to create and refine people strategies that are clearly aligned with business strategy.

Your local intellectual property (IP) experts at DCC have created a video hub of useful information for businesses of all sizes and types, with more coming soon.

The hub brings together various content, including:

• Your friendly animated patent attorney guides you through the process of registering a design or a patent to create value from your business assets

• Western Sydney entrepreneur, Richard Tamba, has 7 tips for Entrepreneurs and imparts some pearls of experience for Developing Innovation

• DuluxGroup talks about the importance of trade marks (not just a Business Name!)

• Sydney manufacturer, Brio, says if you’ve embarked on innovation “it is vital to protect your IP”

We offer a free initial consultation, so finding out how you can increase your business value should be easy!

http://www.davies.com.au