Response from Cassandra Fernando MP:
“If you’re referring to Skills Programs for small business owners themselves, please refer to the upcoming cyber wardens training – which will help small businesses build their cyber security resilience. More than 15,000 small businesses across Australia will be supported to train around 50,000 cyber wardens.
We estimate a trained cyber warden can save a business up to $50,000 a year by identifying and preventing malicious scams from affecting your business. Any interested business owner can head to https://cyberwardens.com.au/ Simplified Cyber Security for Australian Small Business (cyberwardens.com.au) to sign up for this free program.
I also encourage small business owners to take part in the Industry Growth Program Survey, which will help inform the Government’s support for innovative small and medium enterprises to commercialise ideas and expand their businesses.
People can take the survey until 30th July via this link – https://consult.industry.gov.au/industry-growth-program Consultation hub | Industry Growth Program: discussion paper – Department of Industry, Science and Resources
In terms of skills that are useful for potential employees to have in our local area – I would say construction is a big one, as well as broad retail trade skills, and various Trades skills are needed. Our area is growing in many directions and all those skills are quite valuable. Fortunately, many of those skills can be acquired for free under the Government’s Fee-Free TAFE.
A summary of fee free courses available in Victoria can be found via the Victorian Government’s website https://www.vic.gov.au/free-tafe: Free TAFE for lots of jobs | Victorian Government
For us in the South-East, Chisholm TAFE is the main local provider for many of these courses, and while they don’t offer everything – they have a pretty good range at the local campus.”