Workstar

Innovative Delivery: Workstar Launches Myplace!

Traditionally, many accredited training providers have struggled to provide their clients with visibility, accessibility and measurement of training delivery. Often it is difficult to relate the value of the training to the business and to identify what the employee has learned.

The Workstar online training delivery, communication and measurement platform Myplace changes all that. It's our own solution developed especially to provide maximum control and visibility over training.

The real-time environment allows managers to monitor training activity and students to track their own progress. This facilitates a dramatic improvement in the interaction and tracking of progress between trainers and trainees resulting in improvements in productivity and compliance.

Workstar is also investing in the continual development of our extensive library of online interactive AQF standard content. This ensures maximum course accessibility and flexibility in training delivery. Workstar offers businesses the opportunity to build key competencies and address skill gaps through a matrix of courseware relevant to the training needs of each individual within the organisation. This can be both AQF standard or customised to ensure relevance and employee engagement.

Workstar is also pioneering the development of a new training delivery methodology for accredited courseware that is performance centric. This approach is aimed at increasing retention and completion rates as it allows students to be more focused on their skill gaps. The Workstar online training platform Myplace is a breakthrough training tool that delivers improved interaction and productivity.

Workstar's five-star philosophy: Total Organisation, Engaging Communication, Embedding Knowledge, Efficiency and Measurement; is the key to delivering more visibility and control for our clients. This approach has been specifically developed to transform an entire organisation into an engaged community for greater productivity, commitment and compliance.

For more information or to contact us for a demonstration Click here.

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Addressing Skills Shortages in Australia

Upskill with the Australian Skills Voucher Program and Workstar

Work Skills Vouchers are a great way to improve the basic skills of Australians who have no formal qualifications. These improvements in basic skills will help people who are already in employment to progress their career and assist those who are looking for work to find jobs.

For employers

As an approved provider for the Australian Skills Voucher program, Workstar can help ensure your staff benefit from this valuable scheme. We can handle the application process, and take care of all the necessary administration involved with checking eligibility and applying for the vouchers.

Workstar's wide scope of courses ensures there are many options available including retail, business, manufacturing, food processing, engineering and hospitality.

• The scheme entitles individuals to training if they are aged 25 and over without Year 12 or equivalent or Certificate level II
• Eligible individuals may receive a Work Skills Voucher valued at $3000.
• The Voucher covers the cost of an accredited Certificate II course, including course materials.

For more information about Workstar and our solutions Click here.

For individuals

As an approved provider for the Australian Skills Voucher program, Workstar can help you gain valuable qualifications.

Workstar's wide scope of courses ensures there are many options available including retail, business, manufacturing, food processing, engineering and hospitality.

If you are 25 years or older, without a Year 12 certificate (or equivalent) or certificate level II (or higher) qualification and you fall into one of the below groups then you may be eligible to receive a Work Skills Voucher.

• You are an unskilled worker wishing to acquire qualifications;
• You are an income support recipient, such as a parent or carer wishing to return to the workforce and are facing active job search requirements in the next two years;
• You are an unemployed job seeker in receipt of income support and participating in the Job Network and undertaking an active job search; or
• You are not in the labour force, either voluntarily or because of carer responsibilities, and intend to seek work after achieving your qualification.

For more information about Workstar and our solutions Click here.

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Engaging Communities Through Partnerships

Workstar, one of Australia's largest accredited training providers, has recently been named as the training partner for Centrelink's new education initiative for staff. This first-of-its-kind initiative starts with nine New Centrelink Traineeship Scheme participants undertaking Certificate III in Business. On completion, these staff members will be placed in roles across Western Australia and further staff will then commence training.

Workstar and Centrelink have partnered as part of a proactive commitment to addressing local issues, including labour shortages and staff retention; which are affecting the people of Western Australia and in particular the indigenous community. Both parties are anticipating that the positive effect to employee retention rates and skills levels will go far beyond what other institutions have aimed to achieve in the past.

Tom Fallon, Western Australia Regional Manager for Workstar says, "We are proud to be part of this initiative which ensures that staff are able to access valuable qualifications, and that the WA region, particularly the indigenous community, benefits from the training outcomes.

"We are pleased to be working with Centrelink as well as government agencies, Australian Apprenticeship Centres and industry associations, to develop career pathways for the people of WA," continued Tom.

Centrelink Area Manager, Jan Lipiec said, “The apprenticeship program offers participants a range of opportunities in Centrelink and the chance to learn new skills and gain a nationally recognised qualification through Workstar. We are very pleased to be part of this joint initiative.”

"Getting this apprenticeship with Centrelink has been great for me because I can plan for my future and I have something to work towards. So far, my experience has been a real learning curve because I never really thought that this kind of opportunity would be available to me" said new Centrelink Traineeship Scheme participant.

The benefits for local Western Australian businesses and the community overall will be far reaching, and the partnership between Workstar and Centrelink highlights the active role industry is playing in providing solutions to local issues and helping local people to look towards a positive, productive future.

For more information about Workstar and our solutions Click here.

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Talent Management: Do you know the Business Impact and Outcomes?

Workstar is Bersin & Associates' Certified Consulting Partner for Australia and New Zealand, providing Australian companies with global best practice research, analysis and consulting services on corporate elearning, from a community of over 40,000 learning and HR professionals.

Bersin have just released a new research report, High-Impact Talent Management: Trends, Best Practices, and Industry Solutions. The study is based on input from more than 750 organisations and 15 vendors, as well as interviews with 55 senior HR executives and encompasses more than one million data elements.

This 400-page study is the first to examine all aspects of corporate talent management, including global business drivers by industry, top talent gaps, talent trends, and adoption rates of 62 talent-related processes in eight functional areas. The research also provides data which can be used to help companies benchmark their strategies against organisations of similar size and in similar industry segments.

Among its many findings is the identification of 22 talent management processes that have the strongest correlation with business impact. These include coaching (formal and informal), consolidation of staffing requirements across the enterprise, strategic workforce planning, and the identification of critical competencies for key job roles. The list can help organisations prioritise their focus when creating or revamping talent management strategies. The study also includes best practices and case studies which illustrate how these processes are executed in leading organisations today.

Some of the research findings include:

Would you like to be a leader in talent management and make a valuable impact to your company's business goals? Yes? Then you don't want to miss out on reading this report.

For more information about how you can obtain this report and any other information about upcoming events related to Bersin & Associates research please contact Mark White, Client Relationship Manager. mark.white@workstar.com.au

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Tip of the Iceberg

By Mark White
Client Relationship Manager, Workstar Consulting

Workstar has commenced an innovative new project as part of Queensland Health's, soon-to-be-launched, 'Ice-Breaker' strategy.

Workstar is developing an interactive communication campaign designed to increase awareness about the myths, facts and dangers of using 'ice' - crystal methamphetamine - among people 18 - 29 years in Queensland, who are currently using ice and/or other illicit drugs; or whom are considered 'at risk' of use.

Under the initial contract, at least 10 electronic kiosks will be secured and placed in locations at University and TAFE campuses in Brisbane and/or the Gold Coast and potentially Toowoomba. The key objective of the 'Ice-Breaker' electronic kiosk project is to complement the broader communication campaign by delivering information about 'ice' to young people in tertiary education settings through a medium that engages them in a creative, novel and credible way.

A multi-player, games-based software package will be designed specifically for the kiosk-delivered 'Ice-Breaker' campaign; however, this can also be altered, upgraded or adapted to suit campaign extensions or other campaigns according to the needs of Queensland Health. The technical solution involves a variety of educational games including rich media content and branching user-driven scenarios with text, images and audio. The kiosks have the capacity to feed usage and user response information to a database of information that is regularly queried by agency health professionals.

Workstar was engaged on this project due to experience working with a wide range of communities regarding the definition and development of online products that enhance the community's social, economic and cultural lifestyle.

The project leverages off two similar projects that have garnered much attention from Queensland Health.

The Health Indigenous Touchscreen Network (HIT net) project, required Workstar to develop content for a series of touchscreen kiosks across remote Queensland; in order to help address critical health priorities in Indigenous communities. This content offers significant value for people in some of Australia's most isolated and disadvantaged communities by identifying personal health risks. It also offers value to healthcare professionals who seek to educate and assist communities in understanding these risks.

Workstar also assisted the Queensland Health Needle Supply Program, to redevelop the eNSP interactive kiosks targeted at intravenous amphetamine users. Workstar designed three components for the second trial of the eNSP kiosks. Two were interactive educational games; the other was a redevelopment of the initial BBV-Traq survey. The game was adapted from the "circulation game" developed by Exchange Supplies in the United Kingdom. The redeveloped game utilised a body-map concept that highlights issues and problems associated with using amphetamines. Both games were designed for a 15 - 25 year old age range and have received outstanding positive feedback from the target audience and Queensland Health.

For more information about how Workstar can tailor and build content for your business objectives, contact: enquiries@workstar.com.au.

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Keeping ahead of the game. The latest innovations.

At Workstar we believe that a constant drive for innovation is an essential ingredient to the continued success of any organisation.

One of our most recent innovations is our new training delivery, communication and measurement platform, 'myplace'. The new Versity platform can be your place for monitoring student activity via a real-time online environment. This facilitates a dramatic improvement in the interaction and tracking of progress between trainers and trainees resulting in improvements in productivity and compliance.

Workstar is investing in the continual development of our extensive library of online interactive AQF standard content. This ensures maximum course accessibility and flexibility in training delivery. Workstar offers businesses the opportunity to build key competencies and address skill gaps through a matrix of courseware relevant to the training needs of each individual within the organisation. This can be both AQF standard or customised to ensure relevance and employee engagement.

Workstar is also pioneering the development of a new training delivery methodology for accredited courseware that is assessment centric. This approach is aimed at increasing retention and completion rates as it allows students to be more focused on their skill gaps.

Workstar's greatest source of innovation is drawn from the ongoing analysis of our clients' business needs and the feedback from the users of our solutions. By joining our community with those of our clients, we continue to evolve our products and solutions. This in turn benefits our clients through ongoing increases in productivity whilst reducing operating costs.

For more information on how you can implement innovative approaches to learning and communication in your business speak to a Workstar Solutions Manager today, or lodge your interest by clicking here.

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