We are pleased to announce that we recently moved to a new office location on April 18 2016. Our new office is Level 9, 79 George St Parramatta NSW 2150, where we will continue to hold various training courses (business, community services, retail, manufacturing, logistics and warehousing), interview potential ARCies and meet our clients. This relocation is a result of continued business growth and an increase in staff. Our new premises are a short walk from the train station and local landmarks, retaining our commitment to the city of Parramatta and maintaining a central location on which to support our growing list of clients.

Our office number has remained the same – 1300 799 793.

Our new, larger office was professionally designed and constructed by Jeff Grimshaw and his team from CODA Commercial Interiors.

Should you have any questions on our relocation, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing and serving you at our new spacious, light filled surroundings.

As China’s middle class continues to grow rapidly so does their taste for high quality, Australian made products. As a result, Sebel Furniture has returned some of our offshore manufacturing back to Western Sydney to support the increase in demand and export sales.

As China’s economy continues to grow, more of the country’s workers are earning a better income and joining the middle class. These working consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for higher quality, international brands like Sebel.

To capture the full potential of this attractive market segment, many Chinese companies are looking to differentiate themselves from local “copycat” products by selling Australian-made products such as Sebel’s hugely popular Postura Max chair. Designed and manufactured right here in Western Sydney, our Postura is loved by over 7.7 million people worldwide, and is now generating interest in the Chinese market due to its superior design and engineering. 

Sebel’s 60 year heritage and commitment to rigorous product research, design and testing qualities has resonated with the emerging and affluent Chinese middle class. Our Design Led Innovation approach has lead to breakthroughs in the way we work with educators and this has helped us secure our first shipment to China. As a result, we have since appointed the Chinese company Beijing Kangai Healthcare Furniture Co Ltd (Kangai) as our exclusive distributor for our education range of furniture for China. Kangai are planning to launch Sebel to the market in May 2016. Their marketing campaigns are directly aimed at the middle class and promote messages of quality, durability, health, safety and good posture.

This partnership is just one of our exciting future growth plans and we look forward to further partnerships that will increase our export sales and dealer channels worldwide.

For more information on Sebel products, please visit www.sebelfurniture.com

Western Sydney University has launched a Student Recruitment Service that assists employers to link with current students and recent graduates to work on a part time or full time basis for a casual or ongoing position. 

What do you get?    

• Efficient service
  
• Targeted access to students and recent graduates with the skills you need
  

How does it work?

We take care of the whole recruitment process. All you need to do is to complete a short recruitment form and we will promote the opportunity to our students, shortlist applications and schedule interviews!

What are the benefits for you?

• Links to suitable candidates
  
• Stress-free recruitment
  
• Quick turnaround
  

Cost

$350 (+GST) per position

Introductory Offer

As an exclusive offer to WSBC Members, employ a student through our recruitment service and receive two movie tickets*. 

Don’t miss out! This limited offer is only available until 30 June, 2016.

*Terms & Conditions Apply

Contact

Click here to complete the Recruitment Request Form or contact: 

Judy Holman

Business Partnership Facilitator

Western Sydney University Careers

j.holman@westernsydney.edu.au

4736 0388

The world is at the beginning of the Fourth Industrial revolution which, in conjunction with the New Digital Age, is the catalyst for rapid change in all industries and is presenting a multitude of challenges. A major issue facing businesses is having access to a global talent pool with the right skill sets needed to take the organisation into the era of digital transformation.

Entity Solutions CIO, Kamran Channa says, ‘digital is ubiquitous; successful businesses must connect, interact and transact with their customers how they want to and where they want to’. Most businesses have been investing in digital technologies and carrying out research in this area already, however according to experts, the pace of change is about to surge dramatically in the years ahead. Now, more than ever, a highly skilled workforce is imperative and skills which haven’t even been taught yet in schools and universities will be in great demand.

So how will this affect your workforce?

According to the World Economic Forum report The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution which was released in January 2016, “On average, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today”. We need to anticipate possible skill requirements of the future and prepare our workforces as best we can for the times ahead. Although it is difficult to predict which skills will be necessary when the job titles have not yet been conceived, we have to look at factors that research tells us will likely pose problems in the coming years.

In the Energy and ICT sectors, the report identified one of the greatest factors impacting their workforces is ‘disruptive innovation’, the process of designing a new technology which as a consequence outdates another. This will enable businesses to rise to the evolving demands of their customers; however will present workforce challenges as they eradicate some job titles, whilst creating new ones.

What’s the solution?

With the advancement of technology upon us and specialist skills already in short supply, companies have been prompted to re-evaluate their human resources models. A major influence of this change is the drive towards project based work assignments and flexible working arrangements. Utilising contingent workers in specialised areas to address bespoke business requirements provides the crucial benefit to up or downscale as the market dictates.

The subsequent phase is to build and effectively manage your organisation's talent pool in a proactive way to reduce future project lead times and respond quickly to customer demands. Further consideration should also be given to sourcing overseas expertise on a short-term basis. A global talent pool can offer an organisation a competitor advantage and the complexities that surround migration law should not be a deterrent. Having access to the best of bread talent will elevate innovation initiatives and organically encourage upskilling of staff.

Businesses will need to adapt to emerging technology promptly and planning ways to upskill existing staff will help to fill the skills gap. It has already been recognised that skills such as cognitive abilities, critical thinking and complex problem solving will be in high demand across all sectors. For organisations wanting immediate impact, Independent Professionals (IPros), entrepreneurial by nature, take responsibility for their own professional development. These highly skilled professionals are at the forefront of technologies relating to their field and have a willing desire to stay up to date with the latest training.

Ensuring you have a workforce that can engage effectively with new technology is crucial to the delivery of services customers now expect. Consider taking a proactive approach and thinking ahead to the skills your business will need in the future. Focusing on building strong talent pools with these skills, whilst accepting that these candidates may expect flexible working arrangements, will be the key to creating a more resilient workforce that will be ready for the future of work.

For more advice around managing a contingent workforce or assistance with migration solutions please contact Entity Solutions.

A new Parramatta council to be known as the ‘City of Parramatta’ has assured new and existing residents and ratepayers that it will be business as usual when accessing local community services and facilities.

Centred on the former Parramatta City Council, the boundaries for the new Local Government Area incorporate most of the former Parramatta LGA, with the exclusion of the Woodville Ward, along with parts of the Hills, Hornsby and Auburn council areas, and a small section of the Holroyd LGA.

The boundaries have been confirmed as part of the ‘Fit for the Future’ local government reform process and encompass the economic hubs of the Westmead health precinct, the Parramatta CBD, the whole of the Epping town Centre and Sydney Olympic Park, as well as Wentworth Point.

The new LGA is primarily bordered by the natural boundaries of the M2 Motorway in the north, and the M4 Motorway in the south and creates a strong economic corridor centred on Global Sydney’s dual CBD.

Parramatta City Council’s former Woodville Ward has been merged with parts of the Auburn and Holroyd LGAs to form a new Local Government Area called Cumberland Council.

Greg Dyer, formerly the CEO of Parramatta City Council has been appointed as the Interim General Manager of the new City of Parramatta Council. Mr Dyer says council staff have been working behind the scenes with neighbouring councils to achieve a seamless transition to ensure there is no interruption to local services.

“We are very happy to welcome our new residents into the new City of Parramatta and I want to assure everyone that all services provided under their previous councils will continue as normal,” Mr Dyer said. 

“This means that residents of Hornsby, the Hills, Auburn and Holroyd who are now part of the new City of Parramatta will continue to have the same waste collection arrangements and access to local services such as libraries, child care and seniors support.”

The boundary changes announced by the State Government will see Parramatta’s population increase immediately by about 20,000 to more than 216,000.

As a result of the NSW Government’s proclamation of the new boundaries, the Lord Mayor and Councillors no longer hold their roles but can seek re-election at the next local government elections, proposed to be held in September  2017.

In the interim the NSW Government has appointed Amanda Chadwick as Administrator who will perform the civic duties and responsibilities of Councillors. Ms Chadwick’s extensive experience includes numerous NSW State Government appointments at an executive level, most recently as the Executive Director of Policy & Economics at NSW Trade & Investment.

Mr Dyer said the expanded LGA will bring the economic corridor between Westmead, the Parramatta CBD and Sydney Olympic Park under the control of one council and will strengthen Parramatta’s position as Sydney’s dual CBD.

“It will allow for the streamlining of planning processes around the Western Sydney light rail network, which will fall entirely within the new LGA, and will enable improved connectivity with communities which have traditionally accessed employment, education and community services in the Parramatta CBD.

“Bringing the key economic centres of Westmead, Epping, the Parramatta CBD and Sydney Olympic Park under the one council banner creates an economic powerhouse that will drive the future growth of Western Sydney.

“It gives the City of Parramatta a stronger rate base which will help us deliver improved and increased services for residents across the entire LGA, while getting on with the job of building Australia’s next great city here in the heart of Global Sydney.

“The creation of a new, larger Parramatta council improves our ability to be a true partner with the State Government on important projects such as the light rail network and the development of the new Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.  It will better enable Parramatta to fulfil its role as Sydney’s dual CBD, as outlined by the Government in its 2014 Metropolitan Strategy,” Mr Dyer said.

Residents wanting more information about the changes and council services are encouraged to visit Council’s website www.parracity.nsw.gov.au or contact Council’s Customer Service centre on 1300 617 058.

Pitcher Partners has a strong leadership position within the middle market around Australia.

With the recent merger of Pitcher Partners Sydney and Moore Stephens Sydney, the combined expertise and resources means that nationally we are well positioned to share our understandings of what makes many middle market companies so successful.

Partnering with MergerMarket again this year, we have developed the enclosed report. The report delves into deal activity across sectors, delivering analysis and insights into the untold story of the middle market which makes up 73% of Australia’s M&A activity.

Key highlights of the report include:

• Mid-market volumes have slipped by 19% compared to the prior year.
• Deal activity was impacted by significant reductions in energy and mining together with a retreat in foreign capital and private equity.
• M&A activity was concentrated in the leisure, energy, mining and utilities, business services, and consumer sectors.
• While representing less than 10% of overall activity, agriculture and construction were the only sectors to report increased activity on 2014.
• The benefits of pre-sale preparation and being sale ready in Australia’s mid-market.
• Projections on hot sectors and deal drivers to watch for in 2016.

I trust you will find this report both informative and thought provoking and welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you further.

To read our Dealmakers: Mid-Market M&A in Australia 2016 please click here.  

For further information, please contact your Pitcher Partners representative.

Simon Johnson

Principal – Corporate Finance

Pitcher Partners Sydney

+61 2 9228 2261

simon.johnson@pitcher.com.au

The NSW State Government’s Small Business Grant provides small businesses with a grant of up to $2000 for every new employee. 

The Office of State Revenue is running a free information session for small business owners and their representatives. Register now to learn more about the Grant. Seating is limited.

If you have any questions about the information sessions, please contact our Client Education Team on 02 9689 6138 or client.education@osr.nsw.gov.au 

For more information about the Grant, read the information below.

2016 marks 30 years of CareFlight saving lives. To commemorate this special occasion CareFlight will hold a major fundraising Gala Ball to mark their achievements over the last three decades.  

Saturday 17 September will be the pinnacle fundraising event of 2016 with the 30^th Anniversary Gala Ball being held at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. The evening will be a spectacular Blue Tie event featuring dynamic entertainment, special guests, with a live and silent auction full of exclusive items.

Tickets are $250 each with tables of 10 also available. To purchase tickets contact Natalina on (02) 9843 5176 or email gala@careflight.org

Promotional opportunities are also available by donating items for our exclusive live and silent auctions to be held on the evening. Please contact Natalina at gala@careflight.org for more information or to receive a benefits package.

Imagine visiting a zoo and not having to view the wildlife through wired fences or glass windows; or not having to plan ahead to ensure you make the ‘feeding times’ of your favourite animal; or not straining to hear the zookeeper from a distance introduce the animal under their care.

Jake Burgess, CEO of Sydney Zoo, did imagine this and, together with Western Sydney University (WSU), are seeking to deliver his vision for a fully immersed, on-safari, whole of family experience to Australia. 

Through WSU’s Launch Pad innovation program, a zoo hackathon was held (on Friday 8th April 2016) aimed at bringing together people across various disciplines (including engineering, industrial design, science, zoology, business, communications, and information technology) to crowdsource ideas for the creation of the world’s most technologically advanced zoo.

Some ideas generated involved virtual reality technology, advanced multi-touch robust displays, live in-field discreet surveillance streaming, gamified educational applications, sensorised cageless enclosures, and bio-metric diagnostic monitoring tools for data collation and analytics. The winning idea will be announced in the next few weeks.

By partnering with WSU Launch Pad, Sydney Zoo is able to engage with its resident emerging tech startups, university scientists and researchers, and corporate sponsors, such as KPMG, who assisted with the facilitation of the zoo hackathon.

KPMG is committed to and seeks to support innovative ecosystems throughout Australia by sharing its industry knowledge and experience, and providing access to leading thinkers in the innovation space, to achieve commercial success, including:

• General innovation consulting services to identify opportunities and create strategies that drive innovative initiatives and capabilities

• Advice and assistance with R&D tax and grants

• elevate61: together with Advance, deliver a rapid growth entrepreneur program for Australian start-ups to expand their market and funding to the US

• Alliance with Artesian Venture Capital Fund to support the growth of Australian startups, and

• Sponsorship of the Australian Fintech hub Stone & Chalk.

Article published by Tricia Liew, Manager, KPMG Innovate & elevate61