Author: aveling

From humble beginnings as a small mine site safety training provider operating out of a single training room, Aveling has grown to become one of WA’s largest Registered Training Organisations, offering over 100 courses across a broad range of topics from our facilities in Jandakot, Karratha, online and offsite.

As Aveling turns 25, we are celebrating the milestones that brought us to where we are today, exploring the changes in the industry over the past quarter century, and looking to the future of training and development.

Aveling has seen over one million enrolments on our courses to date, and worked with local, national and multi-national organisations, as well as many state and local government entities.

CEO Tony Aveling says, “as a family-owned and run business, we place strong value on connection, relationships, and making a difference.

At the heart of our business is what we call ‘our DNA’; to Develop, Nurture and Appreciate everyone who comes through our doors. We have always believed that where there is education, there are better outcomes, and we do our best everyday to exemplify our values and our DNA.”

After a quarter century of training, development and consulting, Aveling has built a strong knowledge of local industries and their unique requirements and challenges.

“We are proud of the long-standing relationships and corporate partnerships we have built and continue to nurture, as a reflection of our expert knowledge and reputation for quality.

Helping build the individual careers and capabilities of our participants goes to the heart of what we do this for, and is more important than ever in today’s challenging world”, said Tony.

As WA and the rest of Australia experiences record low unemployment rates, alongside a skills shortage to fill the number of roles available, training and development is repeatedly highlighted as a key element in the country’s economic recovery and growth.

Aveling is ever evolving and improving our product offering to ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of our clients, and industry trends, incorporating the latest academic theory, legislative requirements and technologies into our courses.

“What we have learnt along the way, particularly in the past few years, is that innovation and agility is hugely important for any industry, but particularly in education and training.

As WA’s resources sector continued to operate throughout the pandemic, mine site inductions didn’t stop, but the way we offered them had to. With lockdowns and COVID hygiene measures limiting classroom learning, many people to pivot to remote learning, and we were lucky to be ahead in this space, having first launched our online portfolio back in 2007.”

Indeed, during Australia’s pandemic lockdowns, many took the opportunity to upskill online, and we were also able to utilise our existing online portfolio and offer free skills development courses to those who were out of work due to COVID19.

With demand increasing, and the future of training and development ever important, Aveling is looking forward to what the next 25 years will bring.

“We have grown from offering just mine site safety inductions, to a large portfolio of both Nationally Recognised and non-accredited programs in leadership and management, training and assessment, WHS, hospitality, office inductions and more, as well as custom work with our corporate partners.

We are certainly continuing the family business legacy and continuing to grow and evolve to meet demand and the changing needs of WA and beyond,” says Tony.

“We’d like to thank everyone that has supported us over the years – we look forward to continuing to work with you into the future!”

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The new Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation in Western Australia has forced organisations to review and re-establish their policies, procedures, roles and knowledge. This is a process in itself, but where do you start, and how do you make sure you have the right level of skills and knowledge?

Whether you’ve come from a site supervisor or HR background and are looking to move into a WHS-specific role, are a senior leader in an organisation, or are just interested in WHS and how it is managed, there is a course to help bring you up to speed.

Upskilling in WHS not only helps you and your organisation to adjust to the new WHS Act (2020); it might also lead to new responsibilities, a new career, or just an opportunity to improve your knowledge.

If you’re not sure which course is right for you, we’ve outlined some of our most popular WHS courses, what you’ll learn and who they’re designed for:

Introduction to the WHS Act (2020)

• Who is it for? Anyone keen to understand the basics of the new WHS Act (2020) and the key changes it brings.
• What does it cover? The half-day course outlines the new WHS Act and breaks it down to help you understand what it means for you and your organisation.
  This is a non-accredited, introductory course. > Contact us to find out more.

WHS Fundamentals

• Who is it for? Those new to a leadership role, or who need a basic understanding of health and safety in the workplace.
• What does it cover? This introductory course is designed to provide you with a foundation of knowledge in WHS. You’ll learn the basics of the WHS Act and how it’s applied in an organisation, to help you reflect on where improvements can be made in your workplace.
  This is a non-accredited, introductory course. > See the course webpage to find out more.

Health and Safety Representatives

• Who is it for? People who have been nominated as a Health and Safety Representative within their organisation, or looking to be one.
• What does it cover? The knowledge and skills required to carry out the responsibilities of an elected Health and Safety Representative (HSR) and exercise powers effectively.
  This is a non-accredited course. > See the course webpage to find out more.

BSB41419 Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety

• Who is it for? Those whose role is focused on WHS or includes it as part of broader responsibilities.
• What does it cover? This is a Certificate IV level qualification, covering the technical knowledge and skills needed to work effectively across a range of WHS contexts, and provide leadership and guidance to others.
  Successful completion results in a Nationally Recognised qualification. > See the course webpage to find out more.

As the WHS Act (2020) continues to roll out and final details are confirmed by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, additional courses will become available focused on the newly named statutory roles outlined in the legislation.

If you would like to discuss your needs, contact us on: +61 8 9379 9999 or at courses@aveling.com.au.

For many of us 2021 is just as uncertain as 2020, but now we’ve had some time to get used to it, and understand that we must work through the change.

Here are some tips for staying on track in an ever changing world:

• Keep a focus / goal in mind – Whether it is a project end point, organisational direction, or sales target, having that goal and working towards it helps us refocus when things change along the way. Of course, sometimes goals themselves can change with the influence of the pandemic and ever-evolving economic challenges, so making sure you, your manager, your organisation and your team are all on the same page will help things move forward smoothly, or pivot with agility.
• Keep an open mind – During times like these change is inevitable. Keeping an open mindset and allowing yourself to move with change when it is needed rather than fighting against it will save yourself stress, save your business further wasted resource, and build your leadership skills.
• Communication is key – When things are changing, goalposts may be moving, daily tasks changing and times uncertain. Keeping yourself and your team informed of things as they arise, flagging any potential issues with management, and listening to and acting on feedback is essential in a well-functioning team. Allowing everyone to have a voice, improves effectiveness of change management, and can identify issues not otherwise foreseen.

The recently popular quote ‘we’re all in the same storm, but a different boat’ (Anon.) applies not only to recognising the suffering of COVID-19, but the ways we move forward and steer through the challenges in our individual circumstances to achieve our goals and move forward.

Staff turnover is an inevitable part of running a business, but there are ways to make it a smooth and successful process, which will save you money and improve staff happiness and retention rates.

A recent PWC study found that 23% of Australian employees leave their jobs within their first year of work. The cost of this high staff turnover and poor employee retention was estimated at $3.6 billion in lost productivity and $385 million in recruitment costs annually.

Research by Glassdoor found that organisations with a strong induction process improve new hire retention by 82 percent and productivity by over 70 percent. Conversely, employees who had a negative new hire induction experience are twice as likely to look for new opportunities in the near future.

There are clear motivations for making your employee induction a positive and effective experience, beyond just enabling new recruits to become productive as quickly as possible.

Why a good induction process is needed

Staff retention and validation – investing time and money into induction training for your new employees shows that you value them, which can improve staff loyalty and retention, saving big money in subsequent turnover and training.

Minimising risk of fines or legal issues: Educating employees about your company’s policies such as safety, discrimination, and sexual harassment helps protect your business by preventing incidents and provide better defence of any claims. In many industries, costly fines or other legal implications can also be imposed on businesses failing to ensure essential compliance training is completed.

Workplace culture: New employees need to understand the values and behaviours that are acceptable within your organisation. Inductions help establish an employee’s role in the organisation, and embed customer service and other standards.

How to do it right

Have clear objectives – this helps ensure the learning is aligned to required outcomes and what is needed for each new employee in their respective roles. Making sure employees are given the right information at the right time also improves the chances of knowledge retention.

Set the scene – outlining organisational structure, contacts, strategy and location of information sets the basis for good communication. It’s important for new employees to understand the purpose, direction and values of the organisation. This allows them to put their job/contribution into perspective and gives them a greater purpose for work.

Customise for the role – increase efficiency and tailor to the new recruit’s role. Add or remove modules depending on what they need to know and when. Don’t forget visitors and contractors – what vital knowledge do they need to know about their responsibilities and site health and safety procedures?

Consistency is key – don’t let new employees learn bad habits from exiting staff. A well-planned process ensures everyone gets the same important information, and doesn’t include irrelevant material.

The easier the better –  a well-developed induction program can be easily replicated and updated for each new employee and added to with new information or customised courses as needed.

What do your current employees think? – the experience and insights of your current employees can be invaluable. What did they wish they’d learnt on their first day?

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AVELING has put together a selection of induction course packs which give a broad overview of the necessary skills and knowledge to suit most industries. You can switch out courses to create a bespoke course pack that best suits your needs, or work with our team of specialists to develop customised training to suit your organisation’s objectives.

Contact our team to discuss your induction training needs at courses@aveling.com.au or on 08 9379 9999.