A new course designed by industry for senior leaders, managers and HR professionals will highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in a productive workplace. The ‘Developing and Sustaining Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces’ micro-credential is the latest course to be released through the NSW Government’s $37.4 million New Education Training Model (NETM).

The University of New England Partnerships has teamed up with Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen (SALT) to release the course, which commences on 15 August 2022. The course will give learners the opportunity to design and implement bespoke staff recruitment and retention strategies to promote diversity and inclusion in their organisations.

The NETM is a new ‘flipped model’ designed for and by industry that is being rolled out by the Western Parkland City Authority, the NSW Government agency responsible for coordinating infrastructure, investment attraction and job creation in the Western Parkland City.

The partnership between SALT and UNE Partnerships will help build greater workforce participation in western Sydney for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly in industries like manufacturing. It also supports the Government’s recent Women’s Opportunity Statement, which aims to ensure there are real choices for women to play an equal role in the workforce.

Fi Shewring, President and co-founder of SALT said that the micro-credential will have a wide-reaching impact on industry.

“The Western Parkland City is one of the most diverse places in the world, and with one in three Australian workers born overseas. An inclusive workplace with a diverse range of different backgrounds leads to more innovation, a greater breadth of skills and improved employee engagement and wellbeing.”

UNE Partnerships CEO Benjamin Gilmore, said he is delighted to be given the opportunity to work with SALT and to demonstrate the importance of regional universities and training organisations strengthening the skills base of the WPC. He noted regional cities across Australia have had to develop a strategic approach to maximising participation within their communities given the smaller populations in many of these regions.

“We’re very excited to be working with SALT to deliver this important micro-credential. Diverse and inclusive workplaces play an important role in attracting and retaining productive workforces of the future.”

NETM micro-credentials will be free of charge for learners and their employers during the early stages of the pilot program. The program targets skills gaps in key industries that will help grow productivity across the Western Parkland City.

For more information please visit:

• Developing and Sustaining Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces

This article has been reproduced with permission from:

• Western Parkland City Authority

The University of New England has recognised the distinguished career of Gary Smith by awarding the Degree of Honorary Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa (HonDLitt) .

Gary has made an outstanding contribution to the primary healthcare sector and the professionalisation of practice management over the past 30 years.

Gary manages a large General Practice in Penrith NSW widely recognised and respected because of his selfless commitment and dedication to the advancement of practice management in Australia and overseas. He was once interviewed in one of Australia’s leading medical magazine as the “guru” of Practice Management in Australia.

Gary is a life member of the Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM) and he has also been UNE Partnerships’ greatest advocate in consolidating our position as a leading provider for general practice and practice management education in Australia.

Gary is passionate about the education and advancement of first nations people and frontline workers. The combination of these passions has seen Gary travel to regional and remote communities to deliver workshops in medical reception, medical practice administration and practice management in collaboration with UNE Partnerships and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) for the past 12 years.

Of significance, Gary’s Medical Reception program has seen an 89% completion rate over this period, which is almost twice the industry average for Certificate III level programs and almost three times the industry average for ATSI participation in Certificate III level programs.

With a list of achievements far too long to describe today, UNE Partnerships would like to congratulate Gary Smith on another incredible milestone!

For more information:

• Study Health and Community Services at UNE Partnerships

UNE Partnerships would like to congratulate the NSW Government Graduate Program cohort of 2020-21, with 167 graduates celebrating the successful completion of the Diploma of Government in a virtual graduation ceremony on Monday 9 August 2021.

UNE Partnerships is extremely proud of its association with the NSW Government Graduate Program and the role the Diploma of Government plays not only in the success of the Program but in the long-term future of each Graduate.

Professor Michael Wilmore, UNE Partnerships Chairman and UNE Deputy Vice Chancellor described some of the strengths of this contemporary graduate program;

“Today you will add a Diploma of Government to your other tertiary qualifications. While different from university study, we believe the learning experience gained through this Vocational Diploma is a special one.

The focus on practical learning within the work environment complements the critical thinking and analytical skills honed at university. It enables you to apply learning more quickly and empowers the development of broader perspectives on the issues faced by the public services. It means you can make a significant impact at the start of your career, rather than later on.”

UNE Partnerships would like to acknowledge the particularly challenging circumstances the 2020-21 cohort faced whilst undertaking the graduate program, as they were required to balance their work rotations within the NSW Public Service and their study commitments, with the added complexity of extensive lockdowns due to COVID-19.

UNE Partnerships looks forward to continuing this important relationship with the NSW Public Service Commission and we wish all of the graduates every success into the future.

• Learn more about the Diploma of Government from UNE Partnerships:
  https://unep.edu.au/qualification/diploma-of-government/

• Learn More about the NSW Government Graduate Program:
  https://www.psc.nsw.gov.au/workforce-management/recruitment/nsw-government-graduate-program

Making the decision to pursue further studies can be overwhelming. What course? Do I have enough time in the week with work and family commitments? Am I too rusty to learn? Will the benefits outweigh the costs?

I was a specialist practice manager for more than twenty years, but the multi-faceted demands of leadership led me to the realisation that my skillset needed a tune-up. I needed to future-proof myself and the practice, particularly in the areas of compliance, HR and finance. Today I am a proud graduate of UNE Partnerships, and I apply my new skills on a daily basis.

I lead a team of fifteen and we support nineteen specialists. I love the diversity of my workplace. It is multigenerational – shiny newbies in search of a profession, double-degree university students earning while they are learning, workers at the twilight stage of their career, and plenty in-between. Two have approached me eager to study. Joan and Kelsey.

Joan has been our practice manager for two decades and has been pivotal to the growth of the organisation. In her mid-fifties, Joan has put her husband and two sons through university, but it was time to do something for herself. Joan’s motivation to study was simply for the sense of personal achievement. A qualification that belongs to her. Kelsey, at twenty-three, has decided to carve a career in practice management and wants the credentials to get her there. Two very good reasons. As a group, we approached UNE Partnerships and Joan and Kelsey have commenced the brand new Diploma of Leadership in Healthcare Practice. I am a little bit jealous, this course is excellent, interactive, multi-modal and user-friendly.

We have a study session every Thursday night with Colleen Sullivan and Gary Smith in the background reminding Joan and Kelsey to read the questions, not to overthink things and enjoy the journey. They are working their way through the first module on emotional intelligence and are already viewing practice life through new eyes. Joan will tell you that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks, and Kelsey is starting her career as a life-long learner. I am proud of them both.

Sorry Colleen, but they don’t always read the question and definitely overthink everything, but Joan and Kelsey are learning how to learn, can tell you what the amygdala is, and the enjoyment is contagious! I am already looking forward to their graduation day and the confidence, knowledge and skill that accompanies academic endeavour.

Karen Campbell
Practice Manager
Brisbane Clinical Neuroscience Centre

UNE Partnerships and Sayres Australia have entered into a memorandum of understanding bringing together their respective industry and academia expertise in support of defence training.

Leveraging more than 60 years of collective defence training and tertiary learning experience, this new alliance will deliver modern, responsive and truly flexible training solutions in support of Australia’s Defence Forces.

Sayres Australia Chief Executive Officer Craig Powell said that with Defence embarking on constant evolution in warfare techniques and new technologies, it was important to ensure that Australia’s Defence Forces are empowered through quality training to unlock the full spectrum of operational capabilities that future systems offer.

At a memorandum of understanding signing, UNE Partnerships Chief Executive Officer Ben Gilmore, said Sayres’ and UNE Partnerships’ complementary capabilities and wealth of Defence training and tertiary learning experience will help the whole of defence better prepare its personnel for duty.

UNE Partnerships has provided high quality training for defence particularly in the leadership and management areas. This collaboration with Sayres aims to reimagine how, when, where, and why training is delivered and the technologies we can bring to Defence’s training requirements for optimal effectiveness, positioning Defence to remain ahead of changing technology solutions associated with the Government’s continuous shipbuilding strategy.”

Sayres and UNE Partnerships look forward to a long and rewarding journey, working hand-in-glove with Defence to ensure that Australia’s Defence Forces remains capable, competent and contemporary to fight and win in all spheres of warfare.

For more information:

• Sayres Australia
• UNE Partnerships

UNE Partnerships would like to congratulate the NSW Public Service for their recognition as the top graduate employer in the country!

After climbing the leader board for several years, the NSW Public Service has been taken the gold medal in the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021. Along with this prestigious achievement, the NSW Government has held their title as Australia’s most popular Government and Defence Graduate employer for the past four years in a row.

UNE Partnerships CEO, Benjamin Gilmore, is proud of the organisation’s collaborative relationship with the NSW Public Service Commission and contribution to the NSW Government Graduate Program, “We believe we have designed a world-class Diploma program which helps graduates to develop the practical skills and knowledge required by future leaders of the NSW Public Service.”

Sean O’Toole is the Academic Director for Government Programs at UNE Partnerships and has been at the heart of the Diploma of Government for the past five years. “We continue to improve the Diploma of Government every year, more closely aligning the program with the practical expectations of the NSW Public Sector. My team is looking forward to meeting our 2021 graduates in the coming months.”

UNE Partnerships has a specialized project team which consists of subject matter experts, learning designers and a client relationship and account team who work with the NSW PSC learning Committee.

• For more information about the Diploma of Government:
  https://www.unep.edu.au/course/diploma-of-government/
• For more information about the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021:
  https://top-graduate-employers-2021.afr.com/