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The start of a new year often comes with a renewed energy and desire to hit the reset button. This is a great to time to assess your goals for the year and work out what you need to do to achieve them. Many business owners and managers are now thinking about what they want their business to look like this year and beyond.

It’s good to start at the end goal and work back from there so you can ensure you create an effective pathway to take your business in the direction you want it to go. This might include things like a reshuffle of your team, creating upskilling opportunities for your staff or building on your team to meet demand. First things first — ask yourself the key questions to help ascertain what your business needs.

What will your business look like in the New Year and beyond?

The answer to this question really depends on your approach, your focus and your current situation. What do you want your business to look like? Are you looking to grow? Do you have new projects in mind? Are there certain key areas you want to improve? Do you want to build your team? How do you want your staff to function and work together?

Write down a few questions like these and start noting some answers that come to mind. Consider prioritising them, and jot down what you think you can or need to do to make these goals become a reality.

Tips for recruiting new staff

If your goals include recruiting new staff or training your team, keep reading for some useful advice.

Recruitment takes time and energy, so getting right from the beginning is crucial. These tips will help:

Take your time preparing your job advertisement:

To attract the right person, you need to paint a clear picture of what the role involves and the type of candidate you are looking for. Describe your business and its values. Explain the expectations and try to be specific where possible. Consider also what you believe the right employee would be looking for and incorporate information that they would be interested in — this might be your employee benefits, flexible hours or salary perks. In creating the best possible job advertisement, you will hopefully narrow down the applicants to those who are well-suited.

Ensure they are well-trained:

When reviewing job applications, it’s one thing to know that an applicant had completed the required course or has the necessary experience, but why not dig deeper? Understanding where a person has completed their training can give you some further insight. Try to get an insight into which course providers training that will align their graduates with your approach to aged care. If they’re new to your sector, what sort of expectation do you have for them around hands-on experience? Could they have completed work experience or practical placement as part of their training? For many sectors, that hands-on experience is invaluable and quality training providers incorporate it many courses.

Consider their adaptive skills:

Training is important and knowing that your potential staff member has trained with a quality course provider is a big tick. However, don’t forget to consider their adaptive skills too. Sometimes known as soft skills, these qualities are crucial to support their technical skills in the workplace. Think emotional intelligence, communication, problem solving abilities and time management. These are vital for those working with others, in teams or communicating with customers or clients.

Ask the right questions:

When it comes time to interview your shortlisted candidates, think carefully about what questions you will ask to decide if they are the right fit. Some great questions to consider might be: What characteristics do you think are important for working in this business? What do you believe we do? What do you want to achieve in your role? Don’t forget to ask yourself questions when considering a candidate too — do they have the skills needed for the role, and will they help you achieve your business goals?

Retaining and supporting staff

Effective recruitment goes beyond the initial application, interview and hiring phase. Quality staff should be embraced and supported in order to keep them feeling fulfilled and nurtured as part of your team.

A key way to ensure employees experience job satisfaction in your workplace is by offering them ongoing training opportunities or professional development. This can increase their motivation and passion within the sector, keep them up to date with best practice and support their own career progression goals.

Careful recruitment along with upskilling your team can improve their ability and motivation to do their job to the highest standard, which can in turn help you achieve your business goals. Make this year the year that your business shines.

Reflecting as the year ends and a new one begins is something that many of us do. We assess what went right, what wasn’t so great, what worked, what didn’t work and so on. What will you do differently next year, and what brought fulfilment to your year?

For many, it wasn’t quite the year they had in mind. However, taking the time to reassess and set some realistic goals can be an effective way of moving forward in a positive way. Now is the perfect time to start setting yourself up for success in the New Year.

Reasons why we set goals

New year’s resolutions, fitness targets, savings plans — as human beings, goal setting seems to come naturally to many of us.

We can set goals for a range of reasons, and it’s usually a combination of these:

  • Finding motivation
  • Improving your current situation
  • Getting through your ‘wish list’ or ‘to do list’ in life
  • Helping get to your next step
  • Keeping yourself accountable

The SMART approach to goal setting

Of course, it’s one thing to set goals, but what can we do to help ourselves actually achieve them? You can approach goal setting in many ways — think of it personally, stick a note on your bathroom mirror, post it publicly to social media, team up with a friend. It’s important to find an approach that best suits you and seems to help you get the results you are striving for.

One particular approach that is highly regarded to improve your chance at succeeding in reaching your goals is taking the SMART approach. To be clear, that is an acronym, with SMART standing for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Let’s take a closer look at each of these:

  • Specific: What do you want to accomplish and what needs to be done?
  • Measurable: How will you track your progress on achieving this goal?
  • Achievable: Know what is required to achieve the goal and be sure that it can be done based on any potential constraints.
  • Relevant: Is it worthwhile, is this the right time and what will I get from accomplishing it?
  • Time-bound: Work toward a deadline. When do you want to complete this goal and what mini-deadlines will help create a feasible timeline to get there.

Whether you want to run 5 kilometres in a certain time frame, or you are aiming to learn to play a song on guitar, using the SMART methodology is an excellent way to frame your goal setting.

The value of goal setting to fulfil potential

When we set goals, we are demonstrating hope for the future. We are foreshadowing a better version of ourselves and a journey of growth that we are excited for. As well as motivating us to get from where we are to where we want to be, goals can also contribute to improved mental health and wellbeing.

You can use the power of goal setting in a variety of settings each with unique outcomes. You might apply goals to your career, education, finances, family, physical health, mental health, creative endeavours, public service, relationships and more.

The combination of goal setting mobilising us to take action and improving our performance as we strive to achieve the goals can increase our ability to reach our potential and lead a fulfilling life where we continually move forward.

We’re here to support you in achieving your goals

If you’ve been considering where you are now and where you want to be, it’s possible that you are thinking about a new career path, ways to improve your business or how to better support those around you.

From new careers to upskilling workforces and training entire teams, Catalyst’s registered training organisations can support your journey and help you start making those goals a reality

The results are in from the latest survey from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), and Catalyst training organisations continue to deliver training satisfaction and employment outcomes for learners.

Informing and influencing the vocational education and training (VET) space in Australia drives NCVER’s research, and each year learners who have completed studies in the VET sector are invited to take part in their student outcomes survey.

Catalyst’s RTOs Selmar Institute of Education, Royal College of Healthcare and Practical Outcomes were included in the recent survey. All our brands are firm in the belief that education should be human-centred — as such, results such as those from the NCVER survey are important to us. They add to our own feedback processes to ensure that we are always maximising the outcomes for our learners, and providing a rewarding training experience.

Adapting to new ways of learning

As we, along with much of the world, shifted to studying online from the onset of the pandemic, optimising the distance and online learning experiences was of paramount importance. Our approach meant that learners received a dedicated trainer and comprehensive support regardless of their course delivery mode.

With over 91% of learners at Selmar and Practical Outcomes reporting that they were satisfied with the overall quality of their training, our efforts paid off for those enrolled in our courses.

Training to enhance outcomes in employment

Of course, while training experience is important, the outcomes for learners are a priority. Whether it’s upskilling or entering their chosen sector, where your studies take you really matters. For survey respondents who trained with Selmar, combining aged care learners and those completing studies in early childhood education, 90.1% of Selmar learners were employed or enrolled in further study after training with us, with 78.4% of Selmar learners reporting that they improved their employment status after completing their training with us.

Similar outcomes were experienced by respondents who were studying early childhood education sector at Practical Outcomes — 89.6% of Practical Outcomes’ learners were employed or enrolled in further study after training with us and 92.6% of our learners found Practical Outcomes’ training relevant to their job.

Achieving career goals

The aged care learners at Royal College reported meeting their goals too, with 85.8% of Royal College learners achieving their main reason for completing training. With employment — gaining employment or career progression — a key focus area for most learners, 96.4% of Royal College learners were employed or enrolled in further study after training with us, and 91.3% of our learners found Royal College’s training relevant to their job.

Striving for continual improvement and growth

The results of the annual NCVER Survey are promising and tell us that our RTOs are meeting the needs of learners in both the aged care sector and early childhood education and care sector. We also identify that there is room for improvement and look forward to continuing to listen and enhance the way we consider, design and deliver high quality vocational education. Together we can all reach our full potential.

About this report:

Information in the report is presented on Selmar/Practical Outcomes/Royal College qualification completers’ reasons for training, their employment outcomes, further study outcomes and satisfaction with training. The figures are derived from the National Student Outcomes Survey, which is an annual survey of VET students.

Pre-pandemic life can seem like a distant memory, especially for those in Victoria and New South Wales. After almost two years of studying from home, working from home, and/or adapting to challenging circumstances as essential workers in aged care and early childhood education, the time has come to explore the new normal.

With rising vaccination rates across the country and restrictions easing, the time has come for us to move into a post-lockdown world. While the prospect of heading back out into the world is exciting, not to mention seeing loved ones after months apart, you might feel nervous or worried. Rest assured this is completely normal. To ensure the transition to the new normal goes smoothly for you, we have compiled some tips that might help.

Move at your own pace

No doubt being able to access our freedoms again means there will be the opportunity to make some changes in your life. This doesn’t mean you have to transform the way you live overnight. Take some time to assess what might change in your life in the coming weeks and months and make plans with a timeline that feels right.

You might prefer to ease back slowly — rushing to fill every day in your calendar and visit every favourite restaurant right away isn’t necessary. If you need to, slow it down to a pace that suits you to build your confidence starting with places where you feel comfortable.

On the other hand, if you’re ready to jump in to life where you left off that’s fine too. Keep following the latest health and safety guidelines to keep yourself and your community safe while enjoying life in the way that makes you happy.

Making plans and setting goals

During lockdown you might have already reflected on your life and goals, and thought about what you want to achieve. Exploring new hobbies or activities, or even a new career could be on your agenda.

Any time is a great time to consider taking up a course or upskilling to advance your career. Aged care or early childhood education are two booming sectors are offering excellent job prospects for caring individuals who are seeking a career that is both rewarding and meaningful. Aged care workers deliver life-altering care for ageing individuals who require support to get the most from life. In early childhood education, you provide care for children from birth through to school age, supporting them through the most critical stage of development and laying the foundation for their education. Each is a career path with plenty of options to grow and thrive!

Maintain good habits

When we started adjusting to restrictions and changes when lockdowns were initially introduced, it became apparent how important daily routines can be. Same applies when looking at easing restrictions and their implications for our daily lives. Keeping some things as they are could be a good way of transitioning gently, for example your morning walk and coffee or evening reading hour.

Just because restrictions are coming to an end, it doesn’t mean you need to stop doing those activities that you really enjoyed during lockdown. Many people found themselves become passionate about cooking, exercise routines or hobbies at home, and it’s okay to continue with the things you have come to love – especially if they’ve been good for you!

It might be tempting to rush out and do everything all at once simply because we are allowed, but keep prioritising your self-care and don’t push yourself too hard. There’s plenty of time to enjoy those freedoms we’ve all been longing for.

Talk to your friends and families

If you feel anxious, apprehensive or nervous about the easing restrictions and our re-introduction into the world, reach out and talk to those around you. Your friends, family and colleagues can offer support and may even be experiencing similar feelings. After all, we’ve all been through this together and we’re coming out of it together too.

When making plans, don’t forget to check in with your friends, family and work colleagues about what they are comfortable doing. We are all different — communication is key to take a supportive approach as we navigate the new normal.

Remember, you might need to adjust your expectations a little because chances are life won’t be exactly the same as pre-pandemic but there are still so many fun and exciting things to do in the new normal.

Keep the resources below in mind for anyone who needs support for their mental health and wellbeing:

Lifeline Australia

Provide access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Website: www.lifeline.org.au
Telephone: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue

Provides information, and support for depression, anxiety and suicide prevention.
Website: www.beyondblue.org.au
Telephone: 1300 224 636

Headspace

Provides young people with information and resources on mental health, physical health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug services.
Website: www.headspace.org.au
Telephone: 1800 650 890

1800 Respect

Provides 24 hour support to people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse.
Website: www.1800respect.org.au
Telephone: 1800 737 732

Mindspot

Provides free effective internet delivered psychological assessment and treatment for stress, anxiety, worry, depression, low mood, OCD and trauma (PTSD).
Website: www.mindspot.org.au
Telephone: 1800 614 434

Kids Helpline

Provides private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
Website: www.kidshelpline.com.au
Telephone: 1800 55 1800

National Debt Helpline

Helps people tackle their debt problems.
Website: www.ndh.org.au
Telephone: 1800 007 007

National Coronavirus Helpline

Provides information and advice about COVID-19.
Website: www.health.gov.au/contacts/national-coronavirus-helpline
Telephone: 1800 020 080

Attracting and maintaining high quality staff is a challenge for many sectors. In particular, this has become a shared challenge of the early childhood education and aged care sectors.

Current statistics for employment in these sectors, along with future forecasting, demonstrates clear opportunities for improvement. Estimates from the Australian Government suggest that at least 17,000 more aged care workers will be needed in Australia every year over the next decade to meet sector demand.

Meanwhile, a 2019 a survey revealed that up to two in three early childhood educators in Victoria were considering leaving their role. High turnover of staff in childcare services across the country is a common issue.

There are overlapping reasons for these staff shortfalls across both sectors; including industry perceptions and a lack of training and upskill opportunities, along with wage concerns.

Encouragingly, the Federal Government has been focused on both child care and aged care sectors in recent years, with strong recommendations for reform to improve prospects and conditions for workers, such as those included in the recent aged care royal commission.

While progress at a Government level is encouraging, child care and aged care employers require more immediate action to address staff shortages, including attracting high quality workers to their organisations and retaining them.

Many are beginning to implement a range of strategies with the aim of achieving these staffing goals and ensuring they can create a thriving workplace now and into the future.

Effective partnerships with training providers

Partnering with leading training providers is a smart way for employers to gain direct access to high quality graduates. In many cases, it can create a direct pipeline for acquiring talent, whether through practical placement or adding a drawcard for incoming staff who want to receive quality training. This means less reliance on costly and time-consuming recruitment processes and often a higher standard of employee.

Employers taking on learners in practical placements not only helps increase their staff ratios, but gives them an opportunity to meet prospective employees and test whether they’ll be a good fit for their organisation before the formal hiring process.

Catalyst’s Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) have over 15 years’ experience working with child care or aged care organisations, and in the case of Selmar both, to help address their staff shortages with well-rounded trainees and graduates.

Provide opportunities for staff training and upskilling

With a particular need to encourage younger entrants into both child and aged care sectors, employers should be able to demonstrate they’re willing to help their staff grow their skills and experiences over time. Upskilling and career progression is something that organisations of all sizes can foster in their staff, and it can go a long way to retaining them.

Again, partnering with organisations like Catalyst and our training organisations can make it easier to design training pathways for staff that have the desire to upskill, helping to keep them engaged and interested in staying on long term.

With changes to minimum qualifications required to work in in aged care and high expectations for those working in the essential child care sector, businesses that are proactive about training their staff will reap the most rewards short and long term.

Seeking out passion and commitment

Finding great people who are committed to their work and contribute to a positive workplace culture isn’t always easy.

While people who are fully qualified or even over-qualified may seem like the best fit on paper, they may not always translate to outstanding staff. Recruiters are increasingly viewing soft skills in critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork in high regard.

While “hard” skills gaps can be addressed by the organisation through training, it’s almost impossible to foster a true passion for making a difference in your staff. At Catalyst, our organisations’ courses incorporate self-reflection and foster growth of soft skills throughout the training journey.

Well-developed soft skills along with caring and compassionate natures — those people who find meaning in supporting others ­— will more likely make better long-term employee. Plus, you can support them to upskill their formal training and meet their individual goals.

Focus on workplace culture

A positive and supportive workplace culture is something that all employers can take an active role in creating – and it starts from a management level. Senior staff should feel supported and motivated to be their best, and in turn, model good behaviour that influences their team and their team’s team (depending on the size of the organisation!).

A good workplace culture exists when there’s a clear vision, people feel safe and respected and where hard work and career fulfilment are regarded in equal regard.

While maintaining a positive workplace culture has never been more challenging than in our pandemic-impacted world, it’s also never been more important for attracting and retaining staff.

Take action and enhance your workforce

With a significant shortage of staff in both child care and aged care sectors, small businesses and senior management in larger ones, have a great opportunity to entice high quality workers to join their organisations and stay in them.

Training, upskilling, a fresh approach to recruitment and harnessing a positive workplace culture can all make a big impact.

Catalyst delivers leading education in child care and aged care across Australia. For more information about working with us and helping your workforce reach its full potential, get in touch today.

Staying optimistic when life seems to continually throw obstacles in the way isn’t easy, but it is so important to keep up engagement and motivation when it comes to work, life commitments and even self-care.

The pandemic has resulted in many changes to life and a general sense of uncertainty which has impacted productivity, mental wellbeing and even job satisfaction. While those who are employed feel grateful to be a part of the workforce, shifts in circumstances have affected work life balance and the way we can relax or utilise spare time.

Boosting morale and keeping one another feeling positive is important. There are many strategies we can try as employers and co-workers to support those around us to push forward, stay productive and keep smiling.

Factors that may be affecting team morale

To understand how to help others when it comes to lifting spirits, it’s important to have a solid grasp of what might impact a person’s morale in the workplace as well as outside of it.

Here are a few key factors that could impact employee morale, with some related to the pandemic and others that can be affected more generally:

Shifting to online methods:

People across every sector have had to get to know new technologies and get more comfortable with doing things via screens. Sometimes it can feel that these methods are tedious or time-consuming. In addition, learning to do something new can take time and effort.

Adjusting to new rules or guidelines:

As well as moving to online and technology-based approaches, there have been a range of new guidelines to follow around the Covid-19 virus. Getting the hang of everything and learning to adjust can make people feel frustrated or overwhelmed. These includes stringent health precautions like mask-wearing, thorough cleaning requirements, staffing rules and more.

Juggling responsibilities:

Life is full of commitments outside of work, which sometimes can be tricky to manage alongside employment. With Covid-19 in mind, many families are juggling working from home with children not able to attend school. This has put immense pressure on parents and carers, forcing them to make many timetables try to work together to varying degrees of success.

Disrupted routines:

Many of us rely on routines to get the most from our days. The pandemic and resulting shifts in restrictions have meant usual schedules have been affected. This includes gym closures affecting disrupting exercise routines and feeling disconnected due to an inability to visit with friends and family.

When considering reasons for low morale in the workplace, it’s also important to consider whether issues could be stemming from within the place of employment. For example, unclear expectations, inconsistent reduced or extra working hours, workplace bullying, lack of support or recognition.

Signs of reduced employee morale

Not only can reduced morale impact a person’s experience of and behaviour in the workplace, but it can extend to personal lives too.

Here are some signs that may indicate low morale in the workplace and beyond:

Poor performance:

If a staff member is having trouble staying focused, they may have reduced productivity or performance in the workplace.

Lack of enthusiasm:

Everyone has ‘off’ days, but when an employee is consistently unenthused about participating in the team at work, it’s cause for concern.

Lateness or absenteeism:

While this behaviour may result in disciplinary action in the workplace, it’s also worth considering what may be causing this — could this person be in need of support or having difficulties?

Negative attitudes:

Whether it’s an uncooperative mindset, continual fault-finding or outbursts and mood swings, negative attitudes can permeate a workplace and getting to the bottom of things is a must.

Countering these challenges and supporting your team’s morale and wellbeing is crucial for a thriving workplace. There are many things you can do to try to combat signs of reduced morale, even in the face of challenges that are beyond your control.

How to boost morale in the workplace

When boosting team morale and work satisfaction, try incorporating these approaches:

Offer recognition:

A little recognition goes a long way toward employee engagement and loyalty. Shout out people in the workplace when they do well and consider systems such as employee of the month.

Communicate and connect:

Stay in the loop of how your team is feeling with an open, two-way line of communication. Create times to chat and offer a variety of means, including phone, email or even a note.

Be compassionate:

While work is important, personal lives can be stressful or overwhelming at times. Showing compassion and empathy when your employees are unwell or going through a bad time makes them feel that their wellbeing is prioritised.

Support career goals:

Make it your goal to know employees’ career goals and do what you can to help them achieve them. Career growth contributes greatly to sense of worth and motivation on the job.

Supporting staff wellbeing and mental health

Sometimes a situation may need more help than you can directly offer. However, there is plenty of help and support available from a range of reliable, qualified sources.

As well as regularly letting your team know that there is support from within the workplace as needed, it’s worth also mentioning the availability of additional resources. You could display the numbers and websites for some key wellbeing and mental health support services in staff areas, so everyone knows that how they are feeling really matters.

We have compiled a selection of quality resources for health and wellbeing services below. Keep these resources in mind for yourself, or to share with others:

  • Lifeline Australia –  Provide access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
    Website: www.lifeline.org.au
    Telephone: 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue – Provides information, and support for depression, anxiety and suicide prevention.
    Website: www.beyondblue.org.au
    Telephone: 1300 224 636
  • Headspace – Provides young people with information and resources on mental health, physical health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug services.
    Website: www.headspace.org.au
    Telephone: 1800 650 890
  • 1800 Respect – Provides 24 hour support to people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse.
    Website: www.1800respect.org.au
    Telephone: 1800 737 732
  • Mindspot – Provides free effective internet delivered psychological assessment and treatment for stress, anxiety, worry, depression, low mood, OCD and trauma (PTSD).
    Website: www.mindspot.org.au
    Telephone: 1800 614 434
  • Kids Helpline – Provides private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
    Website: www.kidshelpline.com.au
    Telephone: 1800 55 1800
  • National Debt Helpline – Helps people tackle their debt problems.
    Website: www.ndh.org.au
    Telephone: 1800 007 007

As we all navigate our way through respective COVID-19 outbreaks across the country, we appreciate many individuals and businesses continue to face personal and professional challenges. However, during the most challenging of times we must support each other the most, which is exactly what we will continue to do.

As these unprecedented times progress, Catalyst Education will continue to operate and support you, your organisation and your educators and staff. We hope that everyone is staying safe and well and our thoughts go out particularly to those whose families have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with care and compassion, clarity is of the utmost importance during a challenging period. As such, we have actioned flexible strategies based on the latest information available at this time to ensure we can continue to support our clients and our learners.

Education is vital to our communities and as such we will continue to provide the highest possible standard of training to all learners while also supporting our clients’ needs. While face-to-face contact is restricted, by supporting our community by observing social distancing, our very supportive trainers and client relationship team will continue to be available via email, phone and video calls as per usual.

We will keep you updated on information and recommendations from health authorities and the Government becomes available.

Our RTO’s delivery models mean learners can continue to work towards their valuable qualification during these unprecedented times.

Essential information on the COVID-19 situation continues to be updated regularly and we are monitoring all reliable sources including school, centre and facility visitor restrictions and temporary closers. You can also track the latest Australian updates via the Australian Government Department of Health and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. For global updates, visit the World Health Organisation’s website.

Should you require specific support or guidance during this time, we encourage you to reach out to your dedicated trainer, client relationship contact or contact us here.

 

Knowing what’s what when it comes to tax time as a learner can ensure that you get the right amount of tax returned to you.

Did you know that students can be eligible to make study-related expense claims at tax time? With the end of financial year for the 2020/21 period nearly here, now is the time to make sure you know what’s what when it comes to tax savings and your studies.

On top of deductions related to your course, there are also many work-related expenses that you can claim at tax time. With the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact, there are a few changes to how home expenses are calculated, so it’s important to stay informed.

Getting organised for EOFY

Hopefully you’ve been pretty organised throughout the past year when it comes to EOFY. This can go a long way toward maximising your tax deductions — and that could mean more money back in your bank account.

If you haven’t been organised for tax time, there’s still time to get everything sorted. It’s also worth considering putting together a system that will help you keep on top of your income and expenses ongoing. This might be using an app, a physical filing system like a plastic sleeve folder, or organising folders on your computer or email.

If you’re wondering what sorts of things you will be filing and keeping track of, here’s an idea:

PAYG Payment Summaries:

These used to be called group certificates, and they are a document provided to you by your employer that outlines how much money you earned, how much tax was withheld and how much superannuation you were paid.

Previous tax returns:

It’s good to keep track of your earnings and tax records, and tax returns can show you how much tax you have been getting back each year.

Bank statements:

Matching up receipts and invoices to your bank statements is called doing a bank reconciliation. This ensures you are across all the money going in and out of your bank account. It can help you to spot any unusual or unexpected charges too.

Receipts for relevant expenses:

If you make a purchase that is study or work-related, you may be able to claim them as tax deductions when you lodge your tax return. Keep reading for more on which receipts you might want to keep.

Tax savings for learners

Taking on a course and any study-related expenses is a worthwhile investment no matter what. However, if you keep track of what you’re spending to support your studies, you might find that you can claim some of your expenses as tax deductions at EOFY.

According to the Australian Tax Office, there are a number of self-education deductions that you can claim provided you meet the criteria:

  • you are improving specific skills or knowledge you use in your current employment
  • you’re a trainee employee and the course you are undertaking forms part of that traineeship
  • you can show that at the time you were working and studying, your course led, or was likely to lead, to an increase in employment income

Potential tax deductions for learners

So what kind of expenses can you potentially claim as tax deductions? Here’s a few to keep in mind:

  • Your course fees (only if you paid them yourself)
  • Textbooks
  • Internet connection and usage (if you’re studying online)
  • Running expenses if you have a study set aside for self-education purposes (eg heating, cooling and lighting during the time you are studying)
  • Stationery such as planner, highlighters, notebooks and pens
  • Phone calls
  • Computer consumables including printer cartridges
  • Trade, professional or academic journals
  • Decline in value of computer and other equipment (also called depreciation, and can apply to desk, chair, bookshelves and more)

Work from home tax deductions

If you’ve been supporting yourself by working while you study, don’t forget to also include your usual work expenses when it comes to your tax claims.

For some, this may have changed over the last year due to the pandemic which saw many people shift to working from home. The Australian Tax Office recognises the additional expense this can bring at home, such as using lighting, furniture, heating and more. Keep in mind, if your employer provided these things for you, you cannot claim.

To make it easy, the ATO has introduced the ‘shortcut method’ until June 30, 2021 to help you streamline your work from home tax deduction claims. This means employees working from home can claim 80 cents per hour for each hour worked from home during the current financial year.

Get it right at tax time

Getting it right at tax time is important, so if you’re not quite sure what you are eligible to claim it’s worth contacting a tax professional or visiting the ATO website for more information.

Make sure you are clear on what you might be able to claim to maximise your tax return for your individual circumstances.

 

The information above is general information only and does not constitute professional advice. Get in touch with the ATO or a tax professional to learn more about how this information applies to your individual circumstances.

Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021: More than a word, Reconciliation takes action.

The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) are the same each year, they commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey, the 1967 Referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. NRW today is celebrated in workplaces, schools and early learning services, community organisations and groups and by individuals Australia-wide.

At Catalyst Education we have decided to share with you actions you can take during NRW that will play a part in contributing to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

We are proud to be developing our Reconciliation Action Plan as part of taking action.

Take part this National Reconciliation Week

There are various ways in which you WATCH, READ, DO, SEE, SUPPORT and DONATE this week to acknowledge National Reconciliation Week. We have provided information and links to sources below.

What you can WATCH

What you can READ

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Yorta Yorta rapper, writer, presenter and actor Adam Briggs.

From the publisher: ‘Adapted from Briggs’ celebrated song ‘The Children Came Back’, Our Home, Our Heartbeat is a celebration of past and present Indigenous legends, as well as emerging generations, and at its heart honours the oldest continuous culture on earth.’

When The Snake Bites the Sun – as told by David Mowaljarlai and compiled by Pamela Lofts.

From the publisher: The illustrations are adapted from their paintings of the story. David Mowaljarlai said, “We want our children to see the daylight and the sun go down on our land, the home of the Dreamtime, and to live there to their old age and really understand their culture.”

Things to DO

Sydney: Different Colours One People Festival

Come and enjoy performances from talented local artists at this free music festival as part of National Reconciliation Week. Organised by Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) in partnership with City of Sydney.

For more information click here

Queensland: Indigenous Art Program- walking tour

Join curators of the Indigenous Art Program to learn about artworks around Brisbane city. The tour will visit various sites located through the CBD across the hour and a half.

Victoria: NRW Virtual Screening: Wiks vs Queensland

Wik vs Queensland is a landmark feature documentary surrounding the historical court decision in 1996 by the High Court of Australia, granting native title to the Wik People of Cape York in Far North Queensland, and the demonisation that followed at the hands of politicians and media. Learn more here.

EXPERIENCE some of the following

NSW: Sorry Day Event – Aboriginal Support Group Manly, Warringah and Pittwater at Mona Vale Memorial Hall

Let’s come together for a day of healing and reconciliation to honour the Stolen Generations.

The afternoon will include Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremonies, dance performances by the Biala girls and weaving workshop, display of Aboriginal artefacts, Didgeridoo playing, Boomerang and shields. A shared experience with a talk “Why is it Sorry Day?” A reading from Aunty Nancy’s book of poems. BBQ and afternoon tea. Please come and join us.

QLD: Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is the Gold Coast’s only dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre and is fully owned and operated by the local Aboriginal community.  ltural Centre is the Gold Coast’s only dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre and is fully owned and operated by the local Aboriginal community.

VIC: Sample something tasty

Take a deep dive into Indigenous flavours and native ingredients at some of Victoria’s finest restaurants.

Things you can SEE

QLD: State Library of QLD

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures and stories

State Library of Queensland collects, preserves and shares the documentary heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the State. Through consultation and collaboration, the State Library’s collections serve as a central point of access and programming, including exhibitions and showcases, family history workshops, language research, and contemporary storytelling

NSW: WARWAR: The Art of Torres Strait @Newcastle Art Gallery

Works of art never seen before outside of the Torres Strait are coming to the Newcastle Art Gallery in May as part of an exhibition focusing on the traditions of Torres Strait Islander culture. Learn more here.

VIC: Virtual event – NGV Kids at Home: Art Club with Jenna Le

Meet artists and designers online and explore the playful side of making art. In acknowledgement of Reconciliation Week, Jenna will demonstrate how to create a drawing of kindness and respect and transform it into a paper heart using a simple origami folding technique.

Things to SUPPORT

Raise the age

At Catalyst Education, we can all agree that children should be supported to reach their full potential.

Everyone knows that children do best when they are supported, nurtured and loved. But across Australia, children as young as 10 years of age can be arrested by police, charged with an offence, hauled before a court and locked away in youth prisons.

When children this young are forced through a criminal legal process at such a formative age, they can suffer immense harm – to their health, wellbeing and future.

Ten year old kids belong in schools and playgrounds, not placed in handcuffs, held in watchhouses or locked in prisons away from their families, community and culture. Governments can change this by raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years.”

Who is behind the #RaiseTheAge campaign? This campaign has been developed by a coalition of legal, medical and social justice organisations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community owned organisations. This group includes National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, Change the Record, Human Rights Law Centre, Law Council of Australia, Amnesty International Australia, Australian Medical Association, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Public Health Association of Australia.

Trading Blak

Trading Blak is an organisation working toward empowering and show casing Indigenous owned and run businesses, as well as ending exploitation of First Nations Businesses in this space. Their work is self funded and self driven and you can support them by visiting their website.

Blak Business

Blak Business is a 100% aboriginal and owned platform and is working toward “Bringing together information, knowledge and resources to facilitate broader learning and discussion about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander topics”. Blak Business encourages people to learn, connect and support Blak artists and businesses.

‘Blak’ refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ‘Business’ means ‘an area of interest’ and therefore includes a range of topics including  significant dates, achievements, events, current affairs and more.

Blak Business was created with the aspiration that other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples view this space as a reliable source to reference and redirect people to.

Organisations to DONATE to

Uluru Statement from the Heart

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation from First Nations to “walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future”. It was issued to the Australian people in May 2017 following almost two years of work.

The Uluru Statement calls for structural reform including constitutional change. Structural reform means establishing a new relationship between First Nations and the Australian nation based on justice and self-determination where Indigenous cultures and peoples can flourish, and we all move forward.

The Uluru Statement calls for a First Nations Voice to Parliament and a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making and truth-telling. These reforms are: Voice, Treaty, Truth. You can listen, read and donate to the Uluru Statement from the Heart by visiting their website.

Healing Foundation

The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families. Our work helps people create a different future by:

  • generating new research and resources to establish an evidence base for healing and best-practice strategies and build support for more effective policy and frameworks
  • building leadership and capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and
  • strengthening the healing workforce by providing training materials and support
  • conducting strategic communication with stakeholders about the impact of trauma and Intergenerational Trauma on Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants, and the importance of healing in addressing a wide range of health and social issues.”

For more information about how to take action this National Reconciliation Week, visit the official website here.

 

Having a highly skilled team for your workplace is essential. After all, your employees are the heart and soul of your organisation. The better their training, the better your business runs.

When it comes to providing your team with training opportunities, whether it’s to refresh their knowledge and ensure best practice, or to support them with upskilling, choosing a quality training provider is more important than you may realise.

Taking the time to make sure that your chosen training provider is offering the highest quality training for your sector can make all the difference to the outcomes for the individuals in your team, and in turn the outcomes for your organisation.

Highly skilled workers raise industry standards

To maintain, and ideally raise, a high standard of care in both the aged care sector and the early childhood education sector, quality training is essential.

The aged care sector is currently in the midst of an overhaul. The Royal Commission into Aged Care findings highlighted the need for a renewed focus on quality training across the sector. The recently-released recommendations that followed are set to result in the mandating of more training across the sector. The goal is that the aged care sector will employee a workforce of highly skilled, compassionate carers who are committed to and capable of delivering the very best care possible.

In early childhood education, exceptional training produces exceptional educators — vital to nurturing children through their most crucial period of development. Ongoing training for educators ensures early learning providers are delivering the highest standard of care for families. Quality training also contributes to a centre’s ability to meet the requirements set by the National Quality Framework and Early Years Learning Framework, which means a better chance of achieving a high NQS rating when it comes time to being assessed.

High quality training provider for high quality employees

When you commit to training from a high quality provider, you can be confident that you and your team will maximise the outcomes from your training. A high quality training institution ensures well-trained individuals and skilled workers for employers, achieved through a combination of crucial factors for an approach to training that is second to none.

First and foremost, learners must be supported. Whether it’s the first course they’ve undertaken or they’re experienced with vocational training, it’s important that learners who are undertaking studies feel they can reach out for assistance as needed. Support isn’t one size fits all — tailored support means that there is the right kind of help available for those who require it, from general coursework questions through to literacy and numeracy support.

For training to be high quality it should be designed with the real world in mind. Course material that is relevant and up-to-date to reflect current best practice in the sector is vital. Practical placements incorporated into the course ensure that those new to the sector, whether it’s aged care or early childhood education, are able to gain on-the-job experience through their training journey.

An effective training experience doesn’t just focus on practical skills — it marries them with human qualities and interpersonal skills. These ‘soft skills’ are transferable and valued greatly in aged care and early childhood education. Learners should be encouraged to reflect on and develop their ability in areas such as communication, empathy, patience and adaptability.

Ultimately, high quality training providers strive to develop job-ready graduates who enter or advance employment skilled and with confidence. For employers and organisations, this means a productive workforce that is capable of making sure your business shines.

Recognising high quality training for your sector

If you’re an employer looking to support your team in professional development, upskilling or any sort of training endeavours, it’s important to know how to tell a quality training provider from the rest.

There are a few elements that will help you identify a high quality training provider:

Quality providers should offer nationally accredited courses

Any training your team undertakes should be nationally accredited or nationally recognised. This means the courses meet established industry requirements as per the national regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Ensure your team’s training is delivered by a Registered Training Organisation and that the course is meeting nationally approved quality standards.

Look for specialists in your sector

Some RTOs specialise while others provide courses in just about every sector. If you’re looking for the best of the best, an RTO that is a specialist in courses for your sector is more likely to deliver a higher standard of training. You want a training provider who knows your sector inside and out and can understand your organisation’s unique needs and desired outcomes.

Research their training outcomes

Consider what training outcomes the training provider emphasises. You want your employees to graduate with more than just a piece of paper. Qualifications should entail an individual graduating with practical skills, in depth industry knowledge, understanding and confidence. Is their training competency-based with sector-relevant outcomes to help your team and business flourish? Your desired outcomes and the RTO’s should be aligned.

The Catalyst difference: how we help employers and business

At Catalyst, our RTOs help individual learners to reach their career goals in aged care or in early childhood education. We also support organisations within the aged care sector and the early childhood education sector to reach their business goals and shape a productive, highly skilled, confident workforce.

We achieve this by committing to key factors that maximise outcomes and ensure we are a consistently high quality training provider:

Sector experts in aged care and early childhood education

We only provide training for two sectors: aged care and early childhood education. By limiting our course offering to these areas only we have been able to dedicate all of our time to understanding everything there is to know about aged care and early childhood education. Selmar, Royal College and Practical Outcomes, along with their trainers, are sector experts with a wealth of experience committed to these meaningful sectors.

Experienced trainers

Our trainers are sector-experienced, with their own career history working within the sector they now train in. They have stories to share from their journeys as well as the expertise required to deliver top tier support to learners.

Practical skills and theoretical learning

The value of training doesn’t only lie with one approach but the way the theory and practical education can be combined and applied. We ensure that our learners get support with both practical and theoretical training, and make the connections between the two to give their best when it comes time to learn on the job.

Strong relationships with employers

When we support organisations with training their team members, we make it a priority to get to know the business and its needs. Our team works with employers to find out what they want to accomplish and we create a training plan to make sure needs are met.

Flexible training delivery modes

Balancing life and work can be tricky, let alone when you throw studying into the mix. With flexibility, support and understanding, all Selmar, Royal College and Practical Outcomes learners are able to study while they work and gain a fulfilling training experience.

For quality training, choose Catalyst

If you’re ready to level up your workforce and see your organisation flourish, get in touch with the Catalyst RTOs: Selmar, Royal College or Practical Outcomes. We can work with you and your team members to help you achieve your goals in aged care or early childhood education.