9 Career Advice Tips (to Succeed Anywhere)

9 Career Advice Tips (to Succeed Anywhere)

Whether you’re working in an office, a hospital or a warehouse, some general career advice tips will see you succeed anywhere. It’s about making the most of opportunities that come your way, taking time to reflect and finding a balance between your professional and personal life. But arguably most important of all, our number one for a reason, never stop learning in life!

So, how do you stay happy and become successful at work? We think the following ten tips will see you challenge yourself while maintaining a happy and healthy personal life.

  1. Never stop learning

You’ll never know everything there is to know about your industry ­­– but you can try. If you have a passion for what you do, you’ll always find new ways of learning how to do it. Whether reading trade journals and cutting-edge research, attending workshops or enrolling in professional development courses, being a lifelong learner will help you achieve your career goals.

  1. Set SMART goals

You’ve probably heard the expression, ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’! It’s true because, without a plan, you have a wish, not a goal that will help you succeed. But how you set your goal matters, so make sure they’re SMART goals.

  1. Stay organised

Staying organised comes easily for some, but it’s a real struggle for others. But organisational skills are at the heart of productivity and success in every area of your professional (and personal) life. If you’re in the disorganisation camp, try a short professional development course in time management to gain the skills you need to stay on top of your workload while balancing your personal life.

  1. Build your network

Many people think that networking is about gaining connections to help them advance in their careers or business. But that’s not exactly right. It’s only half the story because instead of networking for professional gain, try connecting to ‘make friends.’ Friendship is the key to all genuine and mutually beneficial relationships. So, next time you’re at a workshop or conference, try shifting your focus and see what happens – you might find it takes the pressure off.

  1. Stay healthy

Taking care of your physical and mental health is crucial to well-being and productivity at work. Setting goals for your health is important, even if it’s just a power walk for 30 minutes daily. It’s about making it achievable and fun, so choose something you enjoy. Take time to mentally check in with yourself and employ coping strategies or seek help when struggling with mental health and wellbeing. You can find information on mental health via online resources like Beyond Blue, through your company’s human resources department or by making an appointment with your GP.

  1. Find balance

You’ll discover that there is no perfect work-life balance at some point. It’s about feeling fulfilled in work and your personal life, not so much a 50-50 split between the two. If you’re in a job that makes finding that balance impossible and impacts your physical and mental wellbeing, it might be time to consider alternatives. Check out the 6 Careers for the Best Work/Life Balance.

  1. Start your day early

If you’re not an early riser, there are plenty of reasons to set your alarm clock to wake with the birds (no, not with the night owls!). Studies indicate that students who rise earlier get better grades than those who burn the midnight oil.  You’ll also have more time for exercise (see point 5), which increases your energy levels throughout the day. It’s also easier to find calm when you give yourself enough time in the morning to prepare for the day.

  1. Challenge yourself

If you feel too comfortable in a role, shake things up with a challenge. Creating your own challenges, if they’re not provided, is an ideal way to improve your career performance and boost your confidence. Are there new skills you’d like to learn? Any skill gaps you need to fill? If so, look for a workshop or online course that allows you the flexibility to work and study.

  1. Stay calm, ask questions

Are you afraid to ask questions at work? If so, be brave because asking questions is good for your brain health. Research shows that being curious leads to higher levels of positive emotions, less anxiety, greater satisfaction with life and better overall satisfaction with life. Asking questions also encourages a more positive work environment as it promotes collaboration and trust.

 

Your success in life is limited only by the limits you set yourself. If these tips help you stay motivated and successful at work, great! But if you’re unhappy despite your best efforts to succeed in your current role, it may be time to change your career. Take a look at the hundreds of professional development courses we offer in almost all industries to discover what you’re passionate about today. It’s a great way to sample your future career of choice.

Future of Work: 5 Trends to Watch

The future of work will be transformative, exciting and dynamic, and new careers and ways of working will open up as globalisation continues, new technologies are introduced and we adjust to continual challenges like COVID-19. All of these changes will reshape the nature of work itself. Here we look at the top 5 trends to watch.

#1 – Advancing technology

Technological change is having an unprecedented impact on the future of work, particularly in the areas of AI, virtual reality and automation. When technology complements the work humans do, it can lower costs, lift the productivity of workers and increase the demand for new products and services. However, there has been some debate about the impact that automation in particular has had on jobs.

According to figures released in 2019 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD), 10.6 per cent of jobs in Australia are vulnerable to automation. However, automation, and in fact technology as a whole, has varying effects within different industries, occupations, job types and skill levels.

For example, computers have replaced labour in some jobs, but also created new tasks including programming and application and software development. Construction workers who in the past have relied on operating physical tools and measurement techniques are now relying on the use of visualisation software and drones to execute projects. And marketers are seeing a shift in the way audiences are targeted with more money now being spent on digital ads than TV ads.

Hence, there is, and will continue to be, an increase in demand for workers with particular skills to meet these opportunities in the future. And organisations will focus on sourcing and developing these skills through re-skilling, up-skilling and drawing on the wider “gig economy” of flexible workers.

#2 – An increase in job transition

Along with the future of work being centred around the need for workers to be prepared to re-skill throughout their careers to meet changing demands, the 2021 National Skills Commission report also cites that Australian workers will be likely to change their jobs 2.4 times over the next two decades.

This parallels research that shows that Australian jobs are changing by an average of 18 per cent every decade, and Australians are predicted to spend 33 per cent more time on training and education across their lifetime by 2040. This is estimated at an additional 8000 hours (or three hours per week) until retirement.

The result? Apart from workers re-skilling and retraining, organisations must be prepared to invest in workforce planning and learning and development, and education providers and policy makers must provide the necessary infrastructure and information to enable these investments.

#3 – Alternative ways of working

One of the “future of work trends” that emerged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was remote work. And, while it was a challenge to both monitor and manage, it showed that work can get done effectively — sometimes more effectively — away from the office! However, while productivity may have been enhanced, many leaders reported that team dynamics, culture and the depth of relationships was suffering.

Hence, and according to a report by management consultant firm Korn Ferry, not only will organisations continue to experiment with new roll-out models of work, there will be fully onsite and fully remote models and everything in between. This might also include shifting from “synchronous” to “asynchronous” work (where work doesn’t happen in meetings but independently on shared documents) or ensuring that employees on a particular task are “all remote” or all “in person”.

And according to the 2021 National Skills Commission report, there is also a rise in part-time employment, with these employees growing to represent 31 per cent of the workforce, which is double the level of the late 70s.

#4 – A change in leadership structures

COVID-19 also forced many of us to work in temporarily agile ways, including organisational leaders who were challenged to remain flexible in the face of, what was in many cases, disruptive change.

One of the future of work trends also predicted by the Korn Ferry report cites that organisations will be looking to make this permanent. This will result in flatter, non-hierarchical structures and more project-based working where teams assemble to achieve specific goals before dispersing out into the organisation again. Companies will reinvent where work gets done with “hub-and-spoke models” and remote-only teams.

There will be a shift from hierarchical leadership (rising to the top of the “pipeline” resulting in Executive Leadership) to “Enterprise Leadership”. Leaders will perform and transform by working across organisations and the wider ecosystem.

And learning agility will become more important for everyone in an organisation. With this shift, it will be critical to ensure that increased fluidity does not lead to greater fragmentation, so collaboration and connectivity will be key.

#5 – The importance of soft skills

According to the 2021 National Skills Commission report, there will also be growing importance for core competencies, otherwise known as “employability skills” as part of the future of work, which will ensure workers have continued success in the labour force. “Core competencies” are the basic building blocks that are common across most industries and occupations.

They are a set of skills — often called soft skills — that can enhance career progression, and they include teamwork, communication skills, critical thinking, self-management and problem solving and they provide a base to further develop specialties and skills.

And according to a 2019 employer survey done by the National Skills commission, they are highly valued by employers. In fact, 75 per cent of employers considered them to be as, if not more, important than technical skills. International professional services network Deloitte also estimates that two thirds of jobs will be soft-skill intensive by 2030.

5 Steps to Making the Right Career Choice

Whether you’re a school leaver, after a career change or returning to the workforce, everyone negotiates a career choice in their own unique way. Effective career decisions can help you to adapt to change, and take control of your career and opportunities that may arise. However, the process can be daunting as other factors may be involved, including how to manage yourself and/or your family, your lifestyle, your personal interests and your financial future.

There are a range of decision-making strategies and models that can help, however, one industry-recommended model is based on the CASVE Cycle, which was initially devised in 2003 by James P. Sampson and his colleagues from Florida State University. It focuses on action-oriented steps broken down into five stages — Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing and Execution. It has been recommended as a great career decision-making model, and here we look at the process behind the theory in terms of five steps that can help you make the right career choice.

#1 – Knowing when you need to make a choice

The first step on a career journey is knowing you need to make a career choice, and a good indicator is if there is a gap between your current situation and where you’d like to be.

If you are a school leaver, there are lots of exciting opportunities ahead, but it can also be difficult choosing what to do next. The Australian Government’s School Leavers Information Kit is full of lots of insightful information so you can make your next move. You may choose to jump straight into the world of work and start building your career or gain qualifications or pursue some further study.

If you are already employed, there are a range of cues that can alert you to realising it’s time for a career change. According to Seek they include if you:

  • Dread going to work
  • Envy other people’s success
  • Have stopped “thinking big”
  • Are never challenged
  • Have no work-life balance
  • Don’t feel appreciated or listened to

#2 – Understanding yourself and your options

The second step to making a career choice involves being clear about your abilities, skills and your career interests. This can include:

  • Spending some time thinking about your personal situation, what you value and what you hope to achieve from your career.
  • Creating a “mind map”of things you do and don’t enjoy doing, which can help you rule out any unsuitable career directions.
  • Thinking carefully about your short and long-term goals (and making sure they’re MA.R.T). Focus on the things you’d like to do more of and ask yourself whether you will want to keep doing these things in one, two and five years.
  • Understanding what you are best at (and not so good at) both personally and professionally.
  • Considering the way you like to work. Do you prefer to work autonomously or within a team? Where and how would you like to work? For example, is part-time work or a job in the “gig economy” an option?
  • Knowing what type of industry and company you’d like work for, including what aspects about both will be most important to you.
  • Understanding your personality type. The popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can help you identify your strengths and attributes.
  • Using labour market information which will help you choose a career with good potential for future job earnings and security.

Tools available to assist decision-making

Regardless of whether you are a school leaver, a job-changer or returning to the workforce after a period of time, the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment also has a range of valuable tools that can help you understand and refine some of these decisions. They include:

  • Your Career website — can help you explore and make decisions about your career options. You can research more than 1000 different types of jobs, take a Career Quiz or Skills Match quiz, learn about the skills needed in different jobs, and understand what jobs are in your area. A full list of their resources is available here.
  • Job Outlook website — allows you to explore your job options, match your work style and interests to potential jobs, and learn about job prospects, tasks and pay.
  • Labour Market Insights website — will give you insights from the National Skills Commission to help you better understand your local labour market, future workforce changes, and current and emerging skills needs.
  • National Careers Institute — works to ensure Australians have access to high quality career information and support regardless of their stage of life or age.
  • My Future website — Helps secondary students explore career pathways, including providing tools that can help with career decision making.

#3 – Expanding and narrowing your options

This step in making a career choice is about expanding and then narrowing your list of options.

  • Researching your possible options including on careers pages, websites and industry/educational blogs.
  • Finding descriptions for current jobs that are available in your area of interest and cross matching any personal requirements with your own skillset.
  • Considering following companies that align with your values and interests on social media and/or LinkedIn.
  • Engaging with a careers counsellor to fine-tune and/or clarify your options further. They will be able to explain the benefits and drawbacks as you consider your career change, and help you research any options you might not have previously considered.

#4 – Choosing an option

Once you’ve solidified your career choice, whether it be a study subject, job or career, it’s time to fine-tune your options before you execute your intentions. “Implementation intention” is a valuable strategy that can help you follow through with the goals you set yourself. Introduced by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, it is essentially an “if-then” plan that works on structuring goals around statements like, “If X happens, I will do Y in order to achieve Z”. One of its key proposals is that you will cover more contingencies and be better prepared for whatever comes your way.

Whether you are contemplating your future career for the first time or a change to your current role or industry, success involves risk. But fear of both failure and success can be debilitating. Some of the most common career fears are, fear of:

  • Failure
  • Success
  • What others think
  • Taking on too much
  • The unknown

See page 20 of our The Ultimate ‘A to Z’ Career Change Guide for more insightful detail on how to overcome career fear.

#5 – Implementing your career choice

The fifth step is all about putting your career choice into action. This involves creating a flexible plan and actioning steps to put into effect your preferred option/s. Steps to take that can help you apply for a job include:

  • Researching jobs online. Job vacancies are largely advertised online — in many cases via an internal or external recruiter. You can find out more about job search websites in Australia here. You can also access Workforce Australia, which is the new employment service delivered by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), which will replace jobactive in July 2022. It has stated that it will, “help Australians find and keep a job, change jobs or create their own job”.
  • Researching organisations that are hiring directly. Before applying for a job, ensure you have conducted research on the company. Navigate to their “about” page for valuable insights. Running the company’s name through a search engine can also give you information about current news and employee or client reviews. Networking with people who are employed with these organisations (LinkedIn is a valuable tool), can also help you gain an overall feel for the company culture, the particular skills they value, and an overview of the staff they employ.
  • Tailor your CV for submission. This is probably the most crucial document when applying for jobs as it outlines your key strengths and experience. Here are some tips from Seek on writing your resume. Also consider whether you need to include a cover letter — prospective employers will typically inform you if they need one when you apply.
  • Once you’ve applied, follow-up if you can. If you applied via a recruiter, consider contacting them via an email regarding the status of your application …. But give them ample time to review it first!
  • Make your career choice, but don’t forget to keep a close eye on future career progression and training opportunities. The Future of Work is ever-evolving so you who knows what’s around the corner!

Protect Threatened Plants With Conservation Careers

Ideal for volunteers, activists, politicians and lawyers, conservation careers will allow you to ignite your passion for protecting threatened plant species and native flora. Our Certificate of Plant Conservation will give you a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of plant conservation and inspire you to advocate for change.

You will learn about the challenges associated with protection and restoration measures, ex-situ conservation for threatened species, and the application of genetics and ecosystem conservation methods. You will also study community action initiatives and ways to respond to environmental change to conserve plant species and populations.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking conservation careers include:

  • Learning about the scope and nature of plant conservation
  • Exploring plant diversity and the definition of plant conservation
  • Gaining an understanding of the three major reasons to care and how to measure the scale of the problem
  • Studying the six main reasons for conservation and the eight principles for conservation success
  • Examining how to raise awareness
  • Understanding policy, legislation and organisations
  • Attaining knowledge of international conventions and legislation and the convention on international trade in endangered species (or cites)
  • Gaining insights into the three levels of regulation of trade, the convention on biological diversity (or CBD) and the global strategy for plant conservation (or GSPC)
  • Learning about national conventions and legislation, conservation organisations, international and global organisations and governmental organisations
  • Exploring regional and national organisations and public-based organisations
  • Gaining an understanding of private protected areas and gardens and local organisations
  • Studying protection and preventing degradation
  • Examining protection from damage, protected areas, heritage values and planning for protected areas
  • Learning about land sparing and sharing, weeds, soil degradation and the types of soil degradation
  • Exploring the control of erosion, the control methods for salinity, the loss of soil fertility and pollinator management
  • Gaining an understanding of the restoration of damaged ecosystems, restoring ecosystems and the priorities for ecological restoration
  • Studying recovery rates, restoring biodiversity, restoring function and restoring connectivity
  • Examining restoration projects and how to choose a target state for a restoration project
  • Understanding the principles and stages of ecological restoration and the four main approaches to restoration
  • Examining genetic conservation, genetic diversity and the representation of global plant genetic diversity
  • Understanding the assessment of genetic diversity in plants, the need for germ plasm conservation and germplasm storage and conservation
  • Attaining knowledge of ex situ conservation, in vitro conservation and the methods involved in in vitro conservation
  • Gaining insights into field gene banks and botanical gardens, in situ conservation and natural reserves or genetic reserves
  • Learning about on-farm and home garden conservation and recording and recalling evolutionary history
  • Exploring ecosystem conservation including pollinators, soils and environments
  • Gaining an understanding of selecting areas for conservation, forest conservation and soil conservation
  • Studying pollinators, drone conservation and botanical gardens
  • Examining wild conservation and 3D modelling
  • Understanding community action, the four major groups involved in plant conservation and citizen science and collaboration
  • Attaining knowledge of training and community-led conservation
  • Gaining insights into the Kasigau Corridor in Kenya, the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia and Esk’s Mount Glen Rock and wildlife
  • Learning how to adjust to environmental change in terms of the future of conservation
  • Exploring conservation and climate changes and plant responses to climate changes
  • Gaining an understanding of migration away from, adaption to, the tolerance of and local extinction due to new and different conditions
  • Studying novel threats to plants as a result of climate changes, incoming species, changes in fire regimes and flooding and drought
  • Examining natural capital, nature-based solutions, ex-situ conservation of plants and the conservation of plants in the Anthropocene

And more!

Insights into Rare Australian Plants

Australia’s flora is globally distinctive, with more than 90 per cent of our 22,000 plus vascular plant species found nowhere else in the world. Australia’s plants were used, managed and celebrated by Australia’s First Nations people for at least 60,000 years, however since European colonisation they have faced a range of threats. Animals, diseases, land clearing, floods, fires and interruptions to ecological processes have taken a heavy toll on many species. If you are looking at plant conservation careers, then you’ll no doubt be interested in discovering some of Australia’s rarest plants.

Released in 2021 by the National Environmental Science Programme – Threatened Species Recovery Hub, the Action Plan for Australia’s Imperilled Plants details over 750 plants listed as endangered or critically endangered, and fifty plants that have the greatest risk of extinction. Some of these include:

  • Slender-nerved acacia (Acacia leptoneura). A spiky plant with yellow, balled flowers, this plant was considered extinct for more than 160 years. Today, it has extremely limited distribution as it is confined to a small area to the north east of the town of Dowerin in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. And of the two known plants remaining, they exist only one kilometre apart! Propagation attempts have been unsuccessful and it is thought that genetic diversity is probably very low.
  • Ironstone pixie mop (Petrophile latericola). This plant grows in Western Australia in a soil type that’s been heavily cleared for agriculture, and it is suspected to be susceptible to an introduced root-rot fungus. In 2020, fewer than 200 plants remained, all in poor condition.
  • Grampians pincushion-lily (Borya mirabilis). Only around thirty of these plants are known to exist and they all come from a single location — one rocky outcrop in Victoria! This means that the entire population could be destroyed by a single event such as a major bushfire.
  • Morrisby’s gum (Eucalyptus morrisbyi). Around 2000 of these were growing in the early 1990s, but by 2016, fewer than fifty remained in Tasmania. Climate change and animal and insect damage threatened those that were left, however, protecting trees with fencing has led to new seedlings.
  • Lax leek-orchid (Prasophyllum laxum). Fewer than ten of these remain. Declines are due to ongoing wildfire and drought, and the South Australian species only occurs on private property not managed for conservation. Proposed recovery actions include habitat protection and establishing the orchid and its mycorrhizal fungi in conservation reserves.
  • Woods Well Spyridium (Spyridium fontis-woodii). Fewer than 155 of these shrubs remain on a single roadside in South Australia. Research into threats and germination requirements is urgently needed, plus translocation to conservation reserves.
  • Dwarf spider-orchid (Caladenia pumila). Once common, this plant wasn’t seen for over 80 years until two individual plants were found in Victoria. Despite intensive management, no natural recruitment has occurred, although propagation attempts have successfully produced seedlings and mature plants from seed.
  • Gillingarra grevillea (Grevillea sp. Gillingarra). Only around twenty mature plants remain on a weedy rail reserve in southwestern WA. Half the population was destroyed in 2011 due to railway maintenance and flooding.
  • Border Ranges lined fern (Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum). This plant and its habitat are exceedingly rare. It is threatened by climate changes and drought and fewer than fifty plants remain in NSW.

Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC)

Varying reports have been produced in Australia since the early 1970s calling for action on endangered species and promoting a regional network of botanic gardens to concentrate on the flora of their local region. And while many of these reports recognised the role that botanic gardens play in conservation activities, there was a significant number of other people and groups that were overlooked, in particular, “non-professionals”.

In 1987, the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) was contracted by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service (ANPWS) to conduct a survey of the major botanic gardens in Australia to determine their holdings of rare and threatened Australian plants. The published report included a number of recommendations that recognised the largely uncoordinated approach to ex-situ conservation in Australia.

In 1991, the ANBG acted to co-ordinate the ex-situ conservation of rare and threatened plants by organising a conference, which was titled “Protective Custody? – Ex-Situ Plant Conservation in Australasia”. Conference participants included those from universities, conservation agencies, botanic gardens, zoos, local councils, the forestry industry, horticultural organisations and the mining industry, which reflects the immense interest in the subject throughout the community.

It was generally agreed by conference delegates that there was a need for informal networking so that the diverse range of groups involved could be made aware of the situation. Out of this came a proposal for the establishment of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC). It is a great resource if you are looking at conservation careers.

The aims of the Network include:

  • Establishing a multi-site national endangered species collection.
  • Locating and bringing together information concerning integrated conservation activities in Australia.
  • Assisting in the co-ordination of plant conservation projects to avoid duplication.
  • Providing information and advice to ANPC members.
  • Promoting plant conservation.
  • Organising workshops and training courses.
  • Producing a regular

You can find out more about some of the ANPC’s wonderful projects here.

 

Gain the skills and approaches necessary to create positive outcomes for vulnerable plant species and pursue conservation careers by studying our Certificate of Plant Conservation

6 Quick Strategies for Career Progression

Everyone likes to believe that their career is heading in the right direction. And the good news is that there are a variety of strategies to shape the direction of your future. Career progression can happen due to chance, good luck and other external factors, however, more often than not, it is a result of detailed and proactive planning.

So whether you are after a specific role, company or promotion, here are six strategies that will build your assertiveness and motivation, and have you on the road to the career of your dreams before you know it!

#1 – Go above and beyond

A great way to enhance career progression and get noticed is to build a “big picture” understanding of your organisation. This will allow you to lead, be proactive, make quick decisions and share insights and advice. An important component of this is to understand your organisation’s strategic objectives and the roles your colleagues perform. Ways you can do this include:

  • Reading your organisation’s strategic plan, operational plan and annual report.
  • Gaining a thorough understanding of your organisation’s vision, mission and values.
  • Understanding your organisation’s target audiences and customer journeys.
  • Joining key industry bodies, attending networking events and enrolling in professional development.
  • Becoming a “knowledge sponge” by watching webinars and TED talks and listening to podcasts and audiobooks (to name a few).
  • Contributing to problem-solving whether it’s from a colleague, manager or company perspective.
  • Asking yourself, “How can I add value and solve problems by doing what I love?”

#2 – Mentor and be mentored

In terms of being mentored, it is extremely valuable if you can find an “executive sponsor” who believes in you. And it may be as simple as reaching out to a senior leader you resonate with, outlining your career aspirations and defining ways your connection may benefit both of you. Ideally, your sponsor will endorse you, coach you, advocate on your behalf and introduce you to the right people in the organisation at the right time.

One of the best ways to progress in your career is to also coach and mentor others. Understanding that we think, behave and communicate with others differently is the key. By adopting a “service” mindset, you can improve your connections and communication, establish trust, deepen relationships and build business.

#3 – Plan your career progression

To maximise your career progression potential, the first step is knowing when it’s time to move on. Having personal insight and understanding what makes you happy, sad, drained, motivated etc. can help you establish whether your current role is helping or hindering you. Facing fear and stepping outside of your comfort zone can also help you grow and move forward. Whether it’s asking your boss for more responsibility, leading a pitch to a new client or presenting your department’s quarterly objectives, you will begin to move beyond words to action.

Having a career plan in place is also a powerful way to work yourself up the career ladder and achieve your ambitions. It should involve career goals, and SMART goals are widely used among professionals as they are likely to result in successful outcomes. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related:

  • Specific: Set concrete and clear goals without ambiguity based on specifics like “who”, “where”, “when”, “why” and “what”.
  • Measurable: Set goals that are measurable in terms of time. Include a quantity of “how much” and/or “how many”.
  • Achievable: Goals shouldn’t be too easy, but goals that are too difficult can be discouraging — they need to be genuinely achievable.
  • Realistic: Make the right judgement on how realistic your goals are which requires you to analyse them to determine the time, resources and expenses involved in achieving them.
  • Time-related. Have key dates, timelines and milestones in mind when you set goals. These can motivate your efforts and prioritise tasks above other distractions.

#4 – Build professional relationships 

Positive professional relationships are essential to success and career progression. Whether it’s through internal training, industry conferences, networking events or making a new contact on LinkedIn, there are an abundance of ways we can meet new people, acquire knowledge and advance our careers.

Once connections are cemented, strong communication can also enable you to build and maintain productive relationships. Intently listening, having a constructive approach to problem solving, leading with a positive attitude, showing respect and interest, and supporting colleagues and stakeholders can all deepen professional relationships even further.

#5 – Proactively job search

Keeping your finger on the pulse of career prospects is important regardless of whether you’ve found your dream job or not. It allows you to keep up with current industry trends and identify potential opportunities in the event your job situation changes.

In terms of planning a job search, it is firstly worth identifying your career goals and the skills and experience you will need to fulfil those goals. Then identify who you want to work for and with, where you want to work, how you want to work and why you want to work towards your goals. Make sure your CV is up to date and then start to plan your outreach efforts. These can include leveraging your connections — including on LinkedIn — and reaching out to HR contacts to alert them to the fact that you are job searching.

#6 – Continue to up-skill

Probably one of the most valuable strategies you can adopt that will help with career progression is following the concept of “lifelong learning”. This is particularly important in this Information Age where the automation and digital transformation of workplaces continues to increase and evolve.

Up-skilling is also not necessarily about achieving accreditation in the most up-to-date technical skills. Businesses are increasingly looking to complement automated business models with a workforce equipped to provide strategic and human insights in terms of their soft skills. These include team work, communication skills, conflict resolution, adaptability, efficiency, leadership and problem solving skills.

So, You Want to Be a Screenwriter?

If you’re looking to break into the competitive screenwriting industry, our screenwriting course will give you the knowledge and skills to pursue your passion.

The Certificate of Script Writing is a professional development course that will show you how to craft a script for a variety of media, from websites to radio, film, advertising and educational resources! Once you’ve learnt the basics, the sky really is the limit when you let your imagination soar.

If you’re interested in enrolling in this screenwriting course, simply jump online and view or print a course brochure. It’s here you’ll find out precisely what you’ll be studying.

When you’re sure, this is the right course for you, enrol directly online by clicking ‘ADD TO CART!’ If you still have a few questions, Live Chat with us or if you’re more of a phone person, just call one of our friendly Learning Consultants on 1300 76 2221.

What Do Screenwriters Do?

Screenwriting is the craft of creating scripts for feature films, television, theatre, advertising and video games.

So, what exactly does a screenwriter do? A screenwriter can work on various projects as an employee for a company or as a freelance contractor from the comfort of their own home!

Film

From Hollywood blockbusters to homegrown film productions, screenwriters have a challenging, often arduous, task when writing a script for a feature film. Film scripts usually start out as a solo project but develop into a collaboration to bring the movie magic to life!

Television

Screenwriting for television is an exciting medium because writers have ongoing input on everything from the storylines to the set decoration to help develop what an episode looks like.

Theatre

Writing a script for theatre is a dramatic art form! You’ll write the setting, dialogue and actions to infuse meaning and authenticity into the play.

Advertising

You’ll want to write advertising scripts with exciting, powerful and concise words. It’s a different medium to film, television and theatre, as you’re selling a product or service. Advertising script writers are also called copywriters!

Video Games

Video games aren’t like movies! They don’t begin with a screenplay – they start with project directors and game designers – it’s a collaboration! There’s an art to writing exciting game dialogue, and at the heart of success is putting character first. It’s also important to keep writing succinct. If you play a lot of video games, you’ll understand this concept well.

Educational Videos

Whether it’s a regular script or an animation script, you’ll need to infuse energy into it to fight difficult course content. After all, you’ll need to keep your learners engaged and wanting more!

How to Become a Screenwriter

It won’t happen overnight, but if you’re an ambitious budding screenwriter, you can succeed. Here are a few tips on getting your screenwriting career off the ground.

Learn how to write a script

The first logical step to take in becoming a screenwriter is to learn how to write a script. You can take a screenwriting course, or you can invest in a film and screen bachelor’s degree. Regardless, if you want to be a successful screenwriter, you’ll need to learn the basics at a minimum.

Read screenplays, then watch the films

If you can get your hands on film, television or theatre scripts, read as many as you can! Next, watch the film or show to see how it all comes together on the big (or small) screen.

Practice writing scripts

So, you’ve taken a screenwriting course – tick! You’ve read and then watched as many films as is possible! Now it’s time to start the real work – actually writing scripts. You know what they say … practice makes perfect!

Join screenwriters’ groups

You’ve probably heard of writer’s groups. But did you know there are also many screenwriters’ groups who help and encourage screenwriting? Find your local screenwriters’ group and join as a matter of urgency! You’ll find support and inspiration among your peers.

Apply for entry-level positions

Quite literally, no one has ever walked straight into a screenwriting position. It takes time with creativity, imagination and mastering the craft of your springboard. You can, however, start applying for entry-level positions in the film industry. Entry is competitive but not impossible. Many screenwriters have started as receptionists, baristas and security personnel in the film industry before landing a role that’s closer to their dream job as a writer.

Build screenwriting connections

Try to find a mentor to share screenwriting wisdom. The film industry is a relationship business – it’s important to build connections in the industry in whatever way you can as a beginner. LinkedIn is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. Try to attend any seminars or events with industry-heavy (or light) weights.

Submit work to competitions and festivals

Do you like a challenge? Of course you do, you want to be a screenwriter! When you’ve completed a screenwriting course, enter as many competitions as possible. It’s a great way to build your portfolio and is a chance at recognition for your talent and ideas.

The Australian International Screenwriting Awards are passionate about discovering new talent. So, be brave and submit! It’s a great way to have your work critiqued on artistic and entertainment value!

How Much Do Scriptwriters Earn?

It usually is a passion project, but screenwriters who are successful can expect to be paid well. Payscalereports that screenwriters can earn from $75,000 per year to upwards of $99,000!

5 Crucial Skills for Screenwriters

  1. Creative – you’ll be super creative with more imagination than you can poke a stick at!
  2. Persistent and ambitious – you’ll also need a thick skin as knock-backs are inevitable.
  3. Originality – your ideas will be refreshingly different to grab attention!
  4. Excellent communication – written and verbal skills second-to-none, of course. You’ll have a well-above-average grasp of the English language!
  5. Knowledgeable of media production and communication

If you’d like to learn how to write a script, you’ll love our screenwriting course. The Certificate of Script Writingis ideal professional development for budding script writers. Enrol and start your course today.

Power of Positive Thinking – 8 Practical Tips

Can you think yourself into a successful career or relationship? Does the power of positive thinking help you to achieve your goals? It might seem like a cliché. But, according to the experts, the power of positive thinking – a part of the positive psychology movement – is the key to unlocking your full potential, whether in your professional or personal life. So, what is positive psychology, and how can you improve your positive thinking powers? It turns out that you can improve your ability to think more positively by taking positive action.

What is Positive Psychology?

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life fulfilling, focusing on individual and community well-being to improve quality of life. Many studies show that positive emotions and life satisfaction enhance physical health, creativity, relationships, coping skills and connection.

  1. Spend time with positive people

You’ve probably heard motivational speakers preach, ‘You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with,’ and the adage, ‘Misery loves company.’ Again, this might sound like a cliché, but there’s a lot of truth. If you’re surrounding yourself with negative people, developing and maintaining positivity will be challenging. Try to minimise your exposure to the negativity of others in your life and join groups – whether social, sporting or volunteering – that boost your positivity quota. You could also listen to positive podcasts or audiobooks to fill your positivity cup further.

  1. Contribute to your community

Volunteering has long been connected to positive mental and emotional health outcomes. It can provide purpose and meaningful experiences to your life, increasing self-esteem and general wellbeing. It’s also widely recognised as relieving stress and symptoms of depression and improving relationships. If you can make time to contribute to your community, your mental and emotional well-being will thank you for it.

  1. Recognise and replace negative thinking

Negative thoughts are insidious. They creep in when you least expect it and influence your whole perspective, negatively impacting your life. Keeping a mood diary can help you identify and challenge your negative thinking by replacing every negative thought with a positive one.

  1. Make and achieve goals

Fail to plan, and you intend to fail, they say! So, make sure you’re setting SMART goals. When you’re actively working toward achieving personal or professional development goals, you’re engaging in positive thinking. The act of holding yourself accountable further encourages you to take positive action. Just as negative thinking can be cyclical, positive actions can promote more positivity. So, make a list of what you want to achieve next year and set SMART goals.  

  1. Gratitude

In positive psychology, gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude encourages more positive emotions and is crucial to engage in good experiences fully, boosting health and maintaining strong relationships with others. If gratitude is challenging at first, start noticing even the most minor things that bring joy. Notice if it’s the sunshine after the rain or a home-cooked meal.

  1. Mindfulness

According to research, mindfulness can help you learn acceptance skills and notice present-moment positive experiences. One of the simplest ways of incorporating mindfulness into your every day is to focus on the five senses at moments throughout your day. Take a moment to observe what you can see, hear, smell, feel and taste as a way of grounding yourself. Next, focus on your breathing to slow down. When you get accustomed to slowing down, you’ll probably find that you can readily identify every day’s positive aspects.

  1. Laugh more

Laughter is the best medicine! Researchers discovered that positive emotions associated with humour and laughing correspond with understanding the purpose of life and help older people appreciate a positive perspective on the obstacles endured in life. So, if you want to increase positive thought, put on a comedy, read a funny book or learn and tell some jokes!

  1. Positive self-talk

Positive self-talk is your internal dialogue. It’s often subconscious and influences your thoughts, beliefs and ideas about yourself. If you tune into your self-talk and find a negative Nelly/Nell – it’s time to challenge and change how you talk to yourself. When you change your self-talk, you’ll improve your self-esteem and ability to tackle challenges.

 

Interested in developing the power of positive thinking? Is negativity holding you back? If so, try incorporating one (or all) of these strategies to improve your positive thinking skills. The law of attraction shows that where your focus goes, energy flows. So, when your focus is positive, your life is a magnet for more positive experiences. And if your professional or personal life needs a positivity boost, browse hundreds of online courses and discover your full potential today.

Crunch the Numbers With Online Accounting and Bookkeeping Courses!

It’s the second largest industry in Australia, and the financial services sector is growing fast! Ideal for bookkeepers, payroll managers, assistant accountants and accounts supervisors, our Certificate of Accounting will teach you about forecasting, budget management, financial reports, compliance, tax legislation, corporations law and management accounting.

Online accounting and bookkeeping courses will also enhance your valuable “soft” skills including customer service, attention to detail, interview techniques and decision making.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking online accounting and bookkeeping courses include:

  • Learning how to provide financial and business performance information
  • Exploring client information forms (CIF) and client expectations, goals and objectives
  • Gaining an understanding of company officers, board of management and financial institutions
  • Learning about inline management, partnerships and incorporated, unincorporated organisations, shareholders and sole traders
  • Exploring financial plans, legal and financial requirements, reconciling depreciation and GST and business structure
  • Gaining an understanding of adjustment of borrowings, asset liquidation, funding alternatives, accounts receivable management and business plans
  • Studying cash flow forecasting (CFF), inventory management, net present values(NPV), BAS requirements and PAYG obligations
  • Examining compliance, debtor fault, corporations law and taxation legislation
  • Understanding how to prepare tax documentation for individuals including tax obligations
  • Attaining knowledge of the classification of income, market value and asset value, net realisable amounts, calculation based on gross margins and the retail inventory method
  • Gaining insights into calculating depreciation, prime cost methods, financial and system discrepancies, accrual and cash accounting, prepaid income, prepaid expenses and income statements
  • Learning about calculating clients tax obligations, annual PAYG instalment notices, income tax lodgement, tax tables, medicare levy surcharge, health rebates and seniors tax offsets
  • Exploring how to calculate capital gains tax or losses, GST and fringe benefits tax (FBT), benefits and allowances, medical expenses tax offset, superannuation and the family tax benefit A and B
  • Gaining an understanding of tax free income, specialist advice, integrity and privacy legislation, obtaining client signature, authorisation and endorsement, tax file numbers and submitting documentation to the ATO
  • Studying statement of changes in equity, inventory usage reports, ordering supplies, the tax practitioners Board (TPB), tax agent services, ATO reviews and audits and ATO expectations
  • Examining how to manage budgets and forecasts
  • Understanding sales and expenditure, master, cash, production, labour and overhead budgets
  • Attaining knowledge of budgeted state of financial performance, financial and capital budgets, cash flow budgets and controls, reporting expenditure, capital budgets and accruals
  • Attaining knowledge of rolling forecasts, variable expenditure, contribution margin, breakeven point analysis and highlighting milestones
  • Gaining insights into forecasting data, qualitative forecasting and budget assumptions and parameters
  • Learning about SWOT analysis, estimates of cash flow, costs and revenues and cash receipts forecast
  • Exploring financial risks and protection strategies, budget formats, calculating GST and statements of financial position
  • Gaining an understanding of completing reports, comparing projections with market growth and development, not for profit (NFP projects), budget variances and variance reporting and budget audits
  • Studying how to prepare financial reports for corporate entities, code, classify and check data, extract data from established systems, data coding, accrual accounting, the principle of double entry and the balance sheet
  • Examining the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB), codes of conduct and license requirements, data conversion, the consolidation process and reconciliation
  • Understanding transferring data to computerised systems, shrink wrapped software, entering data, valuing assets and inventory and calculating and recording depreciation
  • Attaining knowledge of perpetual or periodic recording systems, cost method, net realisable value, calculations based on gross margins, retail method, the cash system and Australian standard records management
  • Gaining insights into tax invoices, purchase orders, non-cash transactions, taxation reporting requirements, lodgement schedules, filing systems, FBT tax returns and PAYG withholding annual reports
  • Learning about superannuation guarantee levy, data formats (charts and tables), delegated authorities, lodging annual reports with ASIC, conflict of interest, confidentiality and the structure and format of reports
  • Exploring laws and regulations, effective internal controls, reporting against budgets, analysing results against budgets, examination of the figures, penalties, the accounting cycle, profit and loss reports and statements of retained earnings
  • Gaining an understanding of statement of assets and liabilities, review statements for errors, journals, cash flow statements, chart of accounts, activity statements, annual GST information reports and transactions not reported in total sales
  • Studying how to implement and maintain internal control procedure
  • Gaining an understanding of activity statements, annual GST reports, transaction and auditable trails, integrity and ethical behaviour, variations in compliance, the role of auditors, ignorance or
  • Exploring how to work effectively in the accounting and bookkeeping industry
  • Gaining an understanding of how to determine business needs and expectations, active listening, asking questions and interview techniques
  • Studying code of ethics, code of professional conduct, ATO office reports, software requirements and legislative and industry requirements
  • Examining policies and procedures, industry codes of practice, flow charts and life cycle model
  • Understanding how to review and adapt systems, determine tasks to be done, the consultation process and group decision making
  • Attaining knowledge of objectives and strategies, time management, the urgency of tasks and feedback to team members
  • Gaining insights into identifying areas for improvement, developing opportunities and adapting to changes in technology
  • Learning about training needs analysis (TNA), professional development needs and staff reviews
  • Exploring how to report on financial activity
  • Gaining an understanding of property register, fixed asset register (FAR), calculating depreciation and asset and liability valuations
  • Studying financial and system discrepancies, tax liabilities, how to prepare a trial balance and adjust accounts for prepayments or accruals
  • Examining how to adjust expense account and revenue accounts, common balance day adjustments, general ledger adjustments and reverse adjusting entries
  • Understanding how to review data for errors and compliance, prepare revenue statements, prepare a balance sheet, post revenue and expenses to the general ledger, close entries and correct or refer errors
  • Attaining knowledge of correcting an incorrect posting, reverse and re-enter the transaction, double-entry and accrual principles, accounting systems and debit and credit rules
  • Gaining insights into the accounting equation, accrual accounting, legislation, regulations and standards and code of practice
  • Learning about the five basic bookkeeping principles, the bookkeeping cycle, financial forecasting and analysis and ethical requirements

And more!

Trends for Accounting in 2022

Despite the uncertainty around the continual impacts of the global pandemic, definite trends are emerging as the world adapts to a new normal. After you have completed one of our online accounting and bookkeeping courses, here are some that are definitely worth keeping on your radar.

The implications of climate change

With the recent announcement of the establishment of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) at COP26 in Glasgow, the conversation around climate change has become particularly relevant to the accounting and finance industries.

What was once predominantly an “ethical” issue is now one that is broadly recognised as having material financial opportunities and risks. Accountants will need to reconsider whether climate-related issues have a material impact on an organisation’s financial position, financial performance and financial prospects. They will also need to understand economic transition risks, particularly with the shift towards net zero emissions in the global economy.

Developments in technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology can provide massive opportunities for accountants and is now even more accessible. The use of AI provides opportunities to service a wider audience and allows accountants to more readily access and analyse data for their clients. Many AI-based platforms enable the detailed analysis of general ledgers for errors and can review thousands of invoices to find potential anomalies.

E-invoicing is also expected to grow this year. It offers a range of benefits including reducing manual data entry, faster payment times, greater accuracy, reduced risk of fraud and significant cost savings. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has estimated that up to A$28 billion can be saved over ten years by adopting e-invoicing systems.

Roles are evolving

Accounting and financial advice have always had some overlap, but as the accounting sector increasingly focuses on data analytics, more accountants are migrating into advisory positions. More complex technologies are being introduced into accounting businesses, allowing companies to focus on consulting services like growth sustainability, forecasting management and business intelligence. There is also expected to be a demand for people with financed-based AI automation and cloud skills.

With this increase in knowledge and skills, comes an increase in salary expectations. But in order to attract and retain the best staff, businesses also need to look at a range of benefits as employees revaluate their career goals and look for a better work-life balance. These include things like health and wellbeing initiatives, diversity and inclusion strategies, and career and professional development opportunities.

Accounting Statistics

  1. There were over 3,000,000 chartered accountants worldwide in 2020 and the International Federation of Accountantshad 180 professional accounting organisations across 135 countries as its members.
  2. The Big Four accounting firms (Deloitte, Ernst and Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG) employed over 1,148,000 people worldwide in 2020.
  3. Over 117,000 chartered accountants were based in Australia and New Zealand in 2020.
  4. As of 2021, there were over 34,000 businesses offering accounting services in Australia, and the sector’s market size is estimated at around $26 billion.
  5. There were over 8,700 accounting vacancies in Australia in early 2022. In fact, Seek reported that job ads looking for accountancy professionals had jumped by March to over 33 per cent year-over-year. Demand for accounting executives on LinkedIn also grew fivefold in Q2 of 2020.
  6. The fastest growing average salaries upwards of $110,000 are in the following accounting sub-fields — systems analysis, business analysis, audit management, reporting management and service management.
  7. According to CommBank, 68 per cent of accounting firms in Australia were satisfied with their business conditions in 2021. 52 per cent were also planning to acquire another firm to expand their staff and capability.
  8. 83 per cent of companies were looking to increase their recruitment activity in 2021. Demand for accountants in Australia also surged with 71 per cent of leading firms reporting difficulty finding staff and 24 per cent had difficulty keeping quality staff.
  9. 57 per cent of employers plan to raise accountant salaries by up to 3 per cent in 2021/22 mostly due to a shortage of candidates.
  10. In 2020/21, there were twenty tax fraud convictions in Australia and nearly 200 successful prosecutions under the Tax administration Act 1953. Offences included avoiding authorities and failing to file or keep accounting records.

Accounting Professional Associations

If you are studying online accounting and bookkeeping courses it’s worth knowing about the main accounting bodies in Australia, of which there are three. All provide standards, professional guidelines, codes of conduct and minimum academic requirements that their members must adhere to.

#1 – Certified Practicing Accountants (CPA)

Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) is “a finance, accounting and business professional with a specific qualification. Being a CPA is a mark of high professional competence. It indicates a soundness in depth, breadth and quality of accountancy knowledge”.

A CPA accountant adheres to the CPAs high professional standards, is committed to continual improvement, must carry out periodic quality review assessments, and holds appropriate public liability insurance.

#2 – Institute of Public Accountants (IPA)

IPA accountants typically specialise in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) so can provide expert financial, accounting and business structure advice relevant to businesses of this size. They understand the issues small businesses may face and can provide practical, effective solutions.

#3 – Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA)

This is an internationally recognised network of around 120,000 accounting professionals who are committed to building successful, prosperous and sustainable businesses. A CA offers a range of services from risk management and strategic business plans to trusts, asset protection, financial structuring and income tax planning.

 

Gain a solid foundation of knowledge in accounting and financial services to update your skills or pursue a career in the industry with online accounting and bookkeeping courses such as our Certificate of Accounting.

Double Your Career Options With a Sales/Business Development Course!

Combine two courses in one and save time and money! Ideal for account executives, sales managers or reps, and business development coordinators or associates, this dual course will give you a competitive advantage and more variety and flexibility when it comes to your future career.

Our Certificate of Executive Sales and Account Management/Certificate of Business Development Dual Program will teach you how to prepare for client negotiations and meetings and plan and execute sales by using practical sales techniques.

In our business development course you will learn how to find networking opportunities, identify new business opportunities, improve your problem solving and negotiation techniques, establish and maintain relationships, and develop strategies to expand your client base. You will also gain insights into proven prospecting methods, identifying potential clients and use communication strategies to enhance and build relationships.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a business development course include:

  • Learning about prospecting methods, the selling process, warm and cold markets, pull prospecting and prospecting methods
  • Exploring current and previouscustomers, cold calling, target markets, stage of life, product life span, early adopters and qualifying leads and criteria
  • Gaining an understanding of buyer motives, budgets, buyer accessibility, product affordability, return for the seller, legal compliance, prospect information and recording systems
  • Studying the human element, legislation,customer relationship management systems (CRMS), monitoring and evaluation, individualised sales plans, SMART goals and goal setting levels
  • Examining consultation and communication structures, leader boards, customer contact and planning individualised sales plans
  • Understanding paperwork and reports, routine reports, sales orders, facilitating record keeping, workloads, effective routines and unanticipated events and activities
  • Attaining knowledge of reaction planning, “swallowing frogs”, time analysis, prioritising steps, non-productive sales activities, managing interruptions and saying no
  • Gaining insights into defragging your diary, managing down time, weekly reviews and planning (WRAP), delegating tasks and symptoms and dealing with stress
  • Learning how to present, secure and support sales solutions, prepare for sales presentations, involvement and response, direct and indirect information sources and legislative requirements
  • Exploring fair trading, sales tactics, passive selling, presenting sales solutions, buyer motives and objections and persuasive communication techniques
  • Gaining an understanding of SPACED benefits, translating features into benefits, rational and emotional benefits, buyer signals and buyer resistance
  • Studying the boomerang approach, negotiating and finalising the sale, financing arrangements, completing sales documents, cross-selling, up-selling and product manuals
  • Examining feedback solicitation, service problems, client loyalty strategies, facilitating ongoing contact and customer reward programs
  • Understanding organisational strategic direction, strategic planning documents and mission strategic plans
  • Attaining knowledge of forecasting, buying patterns, products, consumer attributes and competitor analysis
  • Gaining insights into recorded data, establishing performance targets, valid and reliable data, value chain analysis and best practice
  • Learning about conditions of agreement, financing arrangements, providing credit, internal requisitions, cross selling and up selling
  • Exploring how to support post-sale activities, product manuals, technical support, feedback solicitation, client loyalty strategies and customer reward programs
  • Gaining an understanding of organisational strategic direction, forecasting, buying patterns and consumer attributes
  • Studying competitor analysis, establishing performance targets, value chain analysis, benchmarking and developing risk controls
  • Examining risk management planning, advertising/promotion campaigns, budget applications, vertical marketing, product knowledge, pricing strategies, up selling and cross selling
  • Understanding how to ensure sales targets are achievable, review sales performance, inventory control /methods, training, coaching, mentoring and performance counselling steps
  • Attaining knowledge of building and maintaining business relationships, networking objectives and determining networking opportunities
  • Gaining insights into ethics and trust, common forms of communication, engaging with business contacts, establishing rapport and the barriers to business development opportunities
  • Learning about negotiation skills, specialist networking organisations and online networking resources
  • Exploring presentation skills, formal presentations, formal and informal networks and seeking and responding to feedback
  • Gaining an understanding of prospecting methods, the selling process, warm and cold markets, prospecting methods and cold calling
  • Studying product life span, qualifying leads and criteria, buyer motives, buyer accessibility and product affordability
  • Learning how to achieve sales results, SPACED benefits, creating a sales environment, inventory control methods, contingency plans and resolving operational issues

And more!

Top Business Trends for 2022

If you are keen to undertake a business development course, no doubt you will also be interested in some of the key trends that will help keep businesses competitive in these challenging times. According to the Australian Government’s business.gov.au website, they include:

  1. Going digital. In 2019-20, 69 per cent of businesses recorded using one or more information communications technologies (ICT). And with COVID still impacting many business sectors, that trend is expected to continue growing in 2022. Investing in digital solutions can improve business productivity and increase the efficiency of processes. Having an online presence, including on social media, can also help businesses reach new markets and improve customer relationships.
  2. Flexible working. 41 per cent of workers regularly worked from home and 36 per cent had an agreement with management to work flexible hours in mid-2021. Providing flexible working hours can reduce absenteeism and increase productivity and help organisations retain skilled staff and reduce staff turnover.
  3. Flexible strategies. With the ongoing uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations need to increasingly be “on their toes” in terms of being prepared for unexpected situations. From border restrictions and labour shortages to supply chain disruption, keeping up to date with industry developments can help organisations prepare for the worst. As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
  4. Mental health and wellbeing. It has become more important than ever to look after our mental health and wellbeing. Having a mentally healthy workplace involves having plans in place to manage mental health risks, offering tailored mental health support, and supported a culture that understands mental health is everyone’s responsibility.

The Best CRM Software for 2022

Regardless of what industry you are in or what kinds of products or services you sell, customers are one of the most vital components of any business, so they need to be nurtured. And as you’ll discover in a business development course, customer relationship management systems (CRMS) are an ideal way of assisting with this. Here are the top nine software packages for 2022 according to PC Magazine.

  1. If your business is invested in Zoho solutions, Zoho CRM is the magazine’s top pick for CRMS software. It has near-total customisability, integrated gamification features, and a flexible AI layer at the higher price tiers.
  2. For those in small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), HubSpot is one of the more innovative players in the market. It has a workable free version, outstanding email integration features and an intuitive user interface.
  3. Again great for SMBs, Freshsales is ideal for those after an easy-to-use CRMS solution. It has extensive customisation options, a proactive AI assistant, and various integrations that extend its functionality.
  4. For those who use Zendesk products, Zendesk Sell has a super-organised layout, offers a 360º view of contact interactions, and boasts powerful analytics for additional insights.
  5. Salesforce has long been considered a pioneering platform, and this current version doesn’t disappoint. It offers a wide range of customisations, advanced features and powerful social collaboration options, and a third-party app marketplace.
  6. Less Annoying CRM is one of the most affordable CRM solutions. Ideal for smaller businesses, is has an intuitive interface, great mobile website implementation, and a wide range of help and support options.
  7. Apptivo is an affordable CRM platform that is customisable and has 24-hour support and outstanding mobile applications.
  8. Another well-rated CRM tool, Insightly has a fluid and dynamic design, extensive integration options, and a powerful range of functionality.
  9. Lastly, Pipedrive offers an intuitive interface with a deal-driven workflow, solid mobile apps plus call and email synchronisation.

Proven Strategy for Making Sales

Engaging customers and persuading them to buy requires skill and technique, and there have been a range of models developed over the years. Perhaps one of the most well-known is the AIDA model and it identifies four sales process steps.

  1. Attention

In todays multi-media sales environment, sellers need to grab a customer’s attention, and fast! Ways to do this include:

  • Appealing to their emotions.
  • Posing a challenging question.
  • Using humour.
  • Including a message that relates to current events.
  • Using powerful, action-oriented words.
  • Personalising communication by using “you” and “your”.

  1. Interest

Time is precious for today’s customers, so holding their attention can be challenging. Some ways to achieve this include:

  • Pitching the features of your product or service that set it apart.
  • Showing your customers your product’s features and benefits.
  • If speaking to customers in person, smile, make eye contact and focus solely on them.
  • Try to find ways to personalise your product and target it to your customers’ needs.

  1. Desire

In order to buy your product or service, customers need to make a personal or emotional connection, so:

  • Make statements that appeal to their wants and needs.
  • Use empathetic language that identifies with your customer.
  • Personalise your statements with direct language.
  • Frame questions that appeal to their emotions.
  • Pitch your proposition as an “opportunity” that won’t return.
  • Talk about the benefits.

  1. Action

This is one of the final steps in closing the sale, so ensure you:

  • Offer an incentive to close the sale.
  • Affirm your customer’s decision to buy.
  • Give your customer clear directions about what you want them to do.
  • Don’t rush them once they’ve made their purchase — show them you’re more interested in them than the sale.
  • Give them a reason to return …to buy another related product!

Negotiate complex sales, make presentations to clients and improve an organisation’s business results with a dual sales/business development course like our Dual Sales & Business Development Program.

Online Drafting Courses Will Automate Your Career Aspirations

Ideal for budding engineers, designers, and CAD drafters and technicians, online drafting courses can provide you with foundational knowledge in computer-assisted design concepts and processes.

Our Introduction to Computer Assisted Design (CAD) will give you insights into the history of technical drawing and the applications of CAD that you can implement in a range of careers in the construction, architecture, engineering, landscape, manufacturing and urban planning industries.

This course will teach you about the importance of virtual reality, 3D printing, and the artificial (AI) aspects of CAD. And while software is not provided in the course, there are a wide range of CAD software applications available that can be downloaded for free for learning and assessment purposes.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking online drafting courses include:

  • Learning about the scope and nature of computer aided design
  • Exploring the use of computer software and the history of technical drawing
  • Gaining an understanding of CAD, its history and applications including software applications
  • Studying solid modelling or manufacturing and surface modelling and assembly
  • Examining drafting detailing and reverse engineering
  • Understanding the types of CAD software including 2d CAD, 3d CAD and 5d CAD
  • Attaining knowledge of CAD modelling types, CAD system components and application logic
  • Gaining insights into the database, the visualisation suite, the mesher and the modeler
  • Learning about the translation suite and the user interface
  • Exploring popular CAD software and categories of the CAD file format
  • Gaining an understanding of how to create a CAD project
  • Studying CAD design principles including the basics of CAD, the cartesian coordinate system, spatial reasoning, spatial vision and spatial orientation
  • Examining orthographic projections, CAD design general principles, automation, simulation and integration
  • Understanding conception, the identification stage, problem definition, first draft design and design
  • Attaining knowledge of geometric modelling, engineering analysis, validation and design review and evaluation
  • Gaining insights into presentation, drafting and effective use principles
  • Learning about landscaping, mapping and CAD plan types
  • Exploring site/base, topographic, concept, planting and final plans and how landscape plans are presented
  • Gaining an understanding of steps in the design procedure, examples of types of drawings, landscape graphics and scale and lettering
  • Studying design drawing, the different types of lines, surveying and measurement, triangulation and slope and direct contouring
  • Examining miscellaneous drawings, submission drawing, models, environment plans and 2D or 3D software
  • Understanding architecture and urban planning and CAD modelling and urban planning
  • Attaining knowledge of architectural views, using templates, CAD visualisation and virtual tours
  • Gaining insights into risk management, identification and assessment
  • Learning about building information modelling
  • Exploring manufacturing, computer numerical control (CNC) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM)
  • Gaining an understanding of production processes, aerospace and automotive
  • Studying technology and design and financial benefits
  • Exploring extruding, moulding approaches and casting
  • Gaining an understanding of compressive and injection moulding
  • Studying 3-D printing, its history and types
  • Examining multi jet fusion (MJF), direct metal laser sintering, selective laser melting (SLM), fused deposition modelling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS)
  • Understanding electron beam melting, stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP)
  • Attaining knowledge of 3D scanners, the types of software including slicer software, the types of materials and plastics, powders, resin and metals
  • Gaining insights into the advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing and its applications
  • Learning about replacement parts and customised parts
  • Exploring the future of 3D printing
  • Gaining an understanding of enhanced, augmented, virtual and mixed reality
  • Studying artificial intelligence (AI), generative design, the cloud, customisation and other applications

And more!

Where CAD Software is Used

While it is common knowledge that CAD (Computer Assisted Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) is used in the architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing industries, there are other less well-known industry applications. Another reason why online drafting courses are so valuable! Both are also used in:

  • Used in the automative industry to create 3D prototypes of new body styles and design components such as engines, tyres, upholstery, circuitry boards and more.
  • Civil Engineering. Urban planners use the software to plan urban infrastructure including parks, bridges, office complexes, stadiums … the list goes on…
  • Computer-aided dentistry is used to digitise the oral cavity and dental structures for the virtual design of complex prosthetic units.
  • Interior Design. Allows interior designers to bring their vision to life through detailed digital designs.
  • Fashion Design. While many fashion designers may opt to initially design their creations by hand, fashion CAD/CAM software can be used in the later stages of the design process, particularly in the “ready to wear” industries. It can be used to determine how clothing will move and fit, the most efficient cut of fabrics, and it can adjust the scale of the pattern for different sizes.
  • Three dimensional CAD reconstructions of crime scenes and accidents can be used in courtrooms to help jurors visualise the events that are being tried.
  • Forensics. Can help with injury analysis, age estimation and postmortem identification and the reconstruction of crime scene investigations.
  • Can be used in medical applications for the construction of a prosthesis and the reconstruction of body parts. Advances in technology have also created new uses for CAD in the area of tissue engineering.
  • Landscapers often use CAD software to create their outdoor creations and determine the best placement for various landscaping components including trees, gardens, fences and more!

The Importance of CAD in Product Development

As you’ll learn in online drafting courses, CAD and CAM have enabled designers and manufacturers to reduce the time new products get to market, and reduce the number of design flaws which affect productivity.

The history of CAD essentially began in the mid-1940s when various developments were made in computer software. However, since the 1980s, CAD and CAM have provided enormous gains to both the quantity and quality of products.

Some of the advantages of CAD include the ability to:

  • reduce design cycle times
  • design a complex machine without the need to prototype
  • prototype parts directly from a CAD model
  • reduce low-cost design iterations rapidly
  • alter the designs quickly by changing geometrical parameters
  • view designs or parts under a variety of representations
  • virtually simulate real-world applications

CAM is the use of CAD data to control automated machinery for producing parts designed using CAD. The benefits of linking part-fabrication directly to the CAD model include:

Case Study: How Boeing Set the Standard for Design Automation

Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers and the third-largest defence contractor in the world. Founded in 1916, CAD has played a major role in their product development planning and operations.

In the late 1980s, Boeing announced the development of the Boeing 777, a long-range wide-body airliner and the world’s largest twinjet. However, many aviation experts questioned this decision as it would be a highly expensive task and the Boeing 747 models had been adequately serving customers for over 30 years. Their opinion was that the best solution was to modify the 747 to suit passenger needs. However, Boeing applied a new approach that included customer input in the design phase from several major airlines including United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Nippon Airways.

They also invested over $1 billion in design automation to design the new airliner using CAD based on Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA) and Finite Element Analysis System (ELFINI) software packages. Both were developed by Dassault Systemes of France.

Boeing applied the following objectives to guide their break-through process:

  • Reduce aircraft development time significantly.
  • Maximise efficiency and quality.
  • Eliminate costly modification procedures.
  • Meet customer requirements better by involving them in the development process.

As a result, the Boeing 777 was the first aircraft in the world to be designed entirely using CAD technology, a design which included over three million parts! The innovative features of the design process and the company’s approach to manufacturing became the “Gold Standard” for the development of future aircraft.

Although the design was completed at a time when CAD was not linked directly with FEA and CFD modelling software, the effort has still been widely accepted as one of the greatest uses of CAD of its time.

The design was executed so successfully that a full-scale mockup of the Boeing 777 was never built and wasn’t necessary. In fact, its first flight was so successful that the design was considered one of the smoothest and most seamless to date. By using CAD models, design engineers were able to provide “built in” options (such as wing tips), which did not need to go to production. This meant costs associated with its design were substantially minimised.

Gain a foundational understanding of the principles and processes of CAD for entry-level roles or to pursue further studies in this field with online drafting courses such as our Introduction to Computer Assisted Design (CAD).

Joining the Booming Gig Economy – 5 Tips to Success! 

It’s the latest trend in an evolving workforce where individuals seek employment on their own terms. It is known as the “gig economy” and it’s here to stay! But what is it exactly, what kind of jobs are involved and how can you be part of this booming industry?

According to the Macquarie dictionary, the gig economy is “individual workers … employed on a contract to do a particular task for a set time with little connection to their employer”. People work in the gig economy for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. Some people work in the gig economy as their main source of income. Others work in it occasionally to supplement their income when moving between careers, jobs or as a transition into retirement.

Why is the gig economy so popular?

Participation in the gig economy has grown rapidly over the past few years, particularly with the challenges of COVID-19. The gig economy has transformed the traditional, in-office 9-5 working world and caused many to pursue “gig” work for additional (or even primary) income.

Employment figures are also a factor, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting that in April 2020, underemployment hit a record high of 13.8 per cent, and in June of that year, unemployment hit a record high of 7.5 per cent — the highest level in over 20 years. For many, the gig economy was, and still is, a way of keeping money trickling in.

The gig economy can offer individuals flexibility and convenience. It gives individuals the opportunity to work when and how often they want, and to balance work with personal commitments such as hobbies, study and family responsibilities.

What work options do I have in the gig economy?

Examples of “giggers” include project-based workers, independent contractors, freelancers, sole traders and people hired temporarily or part-time.

But perhaps one of the biggest draw-cards of the gig economy is the breadth of variety in terms of the industries you can work in. You can specialise in anything from graphic design, E-commerce, copywriting and bookkeeping to childcare, beauty, gardening and even dog grooming! And that’s just the start! Many giggers also run their own ridesharing, delivery, tutoring, administration, marketing or project management businesses.

How can I join the gig economy?

There is a wealth of advice readily available on how to join the gig economy, including at the national and state government levels. But here are five of our top tips.

#1 – Register for an ABN

If you want to be part of the gig economy in terms of starting your own business and being paid for your goods or services, you will need to register for an ABN (Australian Business Number) to legally operate.

This is a unique number that the Australian Business Register issues to all businesses. It identifies your business to the government and community and to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) when dealing with your tax obligations. If you earn more than $75,000 per annum, you must also register for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which requires an ABN.

#2 – Market your brand

If you want to join the gig economy, marketing and advertising your brand and business is critical. A good place to start is by researching problems, trends, demographics and other observations within your target market. Then, take a close look at your business and see how you can set up smaller marketing tasks. Here are some examples:

  • Reach out to current business connections and ask friends, family and past colleagues to reach out to their co-workers and connections. Referral discounts or free services or consultations are incredibly valuable here.
  • This can include digital networking, joining online forums, attending conferences and industry events, and actively engaging with other businesses via platforms such as LinkedIn.
  • Create a website. There are a range of easy-to-use website creation tools out there that you can experiment with. You’ll also need a domain name, URL and a web hosting company that will help get your website “live”. You can find out more here.
  • Advertising takes many forms, and the platform you choose will depend on your target audience, your budget and what is appropriate for your particular product or service. Traditional advertising platforms include newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, phone directories, outdoor, direct mail and electronic direct mail. However, advertising online via websites, digital marketing, Google My Business and social media (like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter) is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to attract new customers.

#3 – Be insured

Another important element to consider if you are keen to join the gig economy is insurance, particularly if you are a sole trader. A sole trader is classified as “someone who owns and operates a business in their own name”. The different types of insurance include:

  • Public liability insurance. This is required for all sole traders and covers accidents, damage to third-party property, or bodily injuries resulting from services that you provide.
  • Third-party personal injury insurance. This is typically required for sole traders who operate a vehicle as part of their job.
  • Worker’s compensation insurance. Although not necessarily required, it might be worth considering if you plan on hiring subcontractors or other freelancers to work with you on your business, as it will help you provide compensation for any injuries they incur while on the job.
  • Professional indemnity insurance. If you provide advice or professional services, this kind of insurance protects you and your business against claims of errors and negligence.
  • Insurance for equipment. Many creative professionals use expensive equipment. Insurance is important to help you get reimbursed for stolen, lost or damaged gear. Additionally, you can purchase electronic equipment insurance to protect things like your laptop or computer from damage or theft.
  • Technology and cybercrime insurance. If you operate much of your business online, cybercrime insurance can give you financial protection from scamming, hacking and other technological disruptions.

#4 – Consider your super

If you are considered to be a sole trader or self-employed by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), obviously, super payments won’t be contributed on your behalf by an employer. However, any super you pay will be your choice rather than a legal requirement.

The benefits of contributing to super include:

  • You will be saving for your retirement.
  • You may be able to claim a tax deduction for personal super contributions.
  • Super contributions are taxed at 15 per cent, so you may save tax depending on your situation.
  • Super investments usually get better returns than bank savings accounts, so your savings will grow faster.

#5 – Get financial help

Between managing customers and clients, sending invoices, marketing your products or services and actually working, finding time to undertake your own administration and finances can be challenging. If you work for yourself as a contractor, freelancer or sole trader, engaging the services of a professional accountant can help with:

  • Saving you time. Transferring the financial upkeep of a business to a professional will allow you to continue what you do best — working! It will alleviate your having to research complicated tax rules and lodging tax returns and Business Activity Statements (BAS).
  • Saving you money. Experienced accountants can advise you on which of your business expenses are necessary, those that may help minimise unexpected tax obligations, and help you claim potential deductions on business expenses.

What is Inattentive ADHD? Learn the Signs

Inattentive ADHD is a type of ADHD presentation that falls under the umbrella of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

What is Neurodiversity?  

Neurodiversity was coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1997. It’s a term that refers to when someone’s brain processes, learns and/or behaves differently from what is considered ‘typical’. It’s estimated that between 30 and 40 per cent of the population are neurodiverse, while the remaining are neurotypical.  Learning about neurodiversity can help you understand the differences between neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals and empower the strengths and abilities of both groups.

What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. In Australia, ADHD affects about 5 per cent of the population (1 in 20). The condition affects an individual’s ability to exert age-appropriate self-control. It’s characterised by persistent patterns of behaviour – inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive – and can often involve emotion regulation challenges.

What is Inattentive ADHD?

Inattentive ADHD is a subtype of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that manifests differently. Those with inattentive ADHD can have trouble paying attention to details, get distracted easily, have difficulty with organisation, finish tasks once started, and be forgetful.

Types of ADHD

There are three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive ADHD, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined type.

  1. Inattentive – Distracted ADHD

This type of ADHD is characterised by inattention and distractibility without hyperactivity.

Symptoms:

  • failing to complete activities or being slow to complete them
  • not following through on instructions
  • making ‘careless’ mistakes
  • having trouble organising activities
  • frequently switching between activities
  • being easily distracted and forgetful.

  1. Hyperactive-Impulsive

This is the least common type of ADHD and is predominantly impulsive and hyperactive behaviours without inattention and distractibility.

  • Fidgets
  • Difficulty remaining seated
  • Runs around or climbs excessively (in children)
  • Extreme restlessness
  • Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
  • Acts as if driven by a motor
  • Talks excessively
  • Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
  • Difficulty waiting or taking turns
  • Interrupts or is intrusive

  1. Combined

This is the most common type of ADHD and is characterised by a combination of impulsive and hyperactive behaviours and inattention and distractibility.

A combination of the above symptoms will present and is unique to the individual.

Girls and ADHD

Girls are far less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, but that doesn’t mean they’re less likely to have it. According to statistics, girls are diagnosed with ADHD at just under half the rate boys are diagnosed. In adulthood, this difference in diagnosis is made up for when women and men are diagnosed at roughly the same rate.

So, why are girls being overlooked? Unlike boys, girls are more likely to present with inattentive ADHD than with hyperactive or combined type, which are more classic signs of ADHD.

Girls with AD/HD tend to have challenges with:

  • Maintaining focus
  • Organisation
  • Planning
  • Decision-making
  • Goal setting

Girls are also less likely to display disruptive behaviours or impulsive outbursts – so it doesn’t draw the attention of teachers or other professionals. As such, diagnosing ADHD is more challenging.

What Causes ADHD?

ADHD may be acquired through genetic and environmental factors, but it’s unknown for sure what causes the condition. Genetics studies show the condition is a highly heritable disorder with no one gene responsible for its occurrence. Instead, it’s thought that a number of interacting genes alter brain structure, neurochemical composition and brain connectivity and function.

Treatment for ADHD 

Many treatment options are available for ADHD, including behaviour therapy, parent counselling, educational intervention, and medications. Stimulants are the most widely used ADHD medications.

Learn about Neurodiversity

Our Certificate of Neurodiversity is an online professional development course that will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of neurodiversity in personal, educational and professional settings, including ADHD.

In this neurodiversity training course, you will learn about the impact of neurodiversity on wellbeing, childhood development, relationships, education and work. You’ll also discover counselling techniques and strategies for working with neurodivergent individuals.

Learning Outcomes

Discover inattentive ADHD plus other conditions related to neurodiverse brains in this neurodiversity course.

  • History of the term ‘Neurodiversity.’
  • What is neurodiversity today
  • The difference between neurotypical and neurodivergent brains
  • The neurodivergent experience
  • Other considerations
  • Gender and neurodiversity
  • Education
  • Stereotyped behaviour
  • Mental health and neurodiversity
  • Strategies to help neurodivergent children
  • The transition from childhood to adolescence
  • Exercise and neurodiverse adolescents
  • Bullying in adolescence
  • Neurodiversity and mental health in adolescents
  • Adolescence and coping strategies
  • Neurodiverse adults and quality of life
  • Barriers to quality of life in neurodiverse individuals
  • Improving the quality of life for neurodiverse individuals
  • Practical coping strategies for neurodiverse adults
  • Neurodiversity and work
  • Professional development
  • Relationships and neurodiverse individuals
  • Interpersonal relations
  • Neurodiverse work relationships
  • Self-help groups
  • Teaching strategies for neurodiverse students
  • Neurodiverse children and education
  • Neurodiverse students in the classroom
  • Underemployment and unemployment
  • The benefits of neurodiverse employees
  • Neurodivergent jobs
  • Preparing for interviews
  • Maintaining neurodiverse individuals in the workplace
  • Diagnosis
  • Counselling young neurodiverse people
  • Counselling neurodiverse adults
  • Case study – counselling for ADHD
  • International organisations that support neurodiversity

And more!

Understand neurodiversity to help everyone thrive, whether in the workplace, education or personal relationships, with our Certificate of Neurodiversity. Enrol and start studying today!  

How to Choose a Careers Counsellor (And Why)

Not sure what career you want to pursue? Or ready for a change in your current role? Whether you have just finished school or are keen to switch careers, finding a fulfilling way to earn a living is perhaps one of the most important decisions many of us will make, so it can be a daunting prospect.  And that’s where a careers counsellor comes in!

What is a careers counsellor?

Careers counsellors help individuals search for employment, plan and manage their careers, make decisions about training, education and personal development, and analyse an individual’s underlying drive, abilities, motivations and personality traits. Essentially, they bridge the gap between job seekers and opportunity!

What is involved in a career counselling session?

The process of career counselling is typically carried out through a series of counselling sessions and aptitude tests to gain a clear picture of your ambitions and competencies.

There is a huge range of techniques that career counsellors use, including:

  • Aptitude tests. These are often tailored to specific professions and are designed to objectively measure skills and attributes that relate to workplace performance. Some tests focus on cognitive skills such as verbal, numerical or abstract reasoning. Others examine your workplace behavioural style.
  • Personality tests. Research has shown that certain personality types have a predisposition to certain careers and achieving success within them. The two most common personality tests are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the Big Five personality traits.
  • Goals/desires. Goals and desires are often then assessed to see if they line up with the first two tests.
  • Job market. This is a secondary consideration, it is still important as if there are limited jobs or a diminishing market, customised or alternative suggestions may be necessary.
  • Psychology – Sometimes, individuals are dealing with particular issues that may decrease their success in a certain field regardless of their skills.

However, many career counsellors go above and beyond these techniques in order to:

  • Clarify what you want in terms of a career and job role.
  • Find and remove limiting beliefs.
  • Identify personal issues and blockages.
  • Increase motivation and personal confidence.
  • Provide a sense of empowerment and clarity.
  • Help to identify expectations and goals.
  • Create a framework for achieving goals.
  • Highlight personal strengths and weaknesses.
  • Remove negative beliefs about strengths and weaknesses.
  • Clarify personal desires, including salary, travel, work expectations etc.
  • Refine your goals and expectations.
  • Identify the areas to work on for maximum success within a chosen career, including up-skilling.

What sort of questions will a careers counsellor ask me?

It depends on a range of factors, however, ultimately, a careers counsellor will help you to crystallise your thoughts and feelings so you can come to your own conclusions. They may even help you to realise that the career you thought you wanted is not what you want at all! Questions they might ask include:

  • For what specific reasons are you drawn to this particular field?
  • What framework do you have on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis for achieving your goals?
  • Do you have side projects that will have lateral effects on your career decision?
  • Are there past issues that could potentially prevent you from reaching your full potential in your chosen field?
  • Do you possess the resume writing and interview skills necessary to qualify for positions?
  • Are you prepared to sacrifice your leisure time to achieve success in your career?
  • Is the career path you are interested in something you want to pursue for many years to increase your knowledge?
  • Are you truly passionate about the career, or is it merely the best available option?

What questions can I ask my careers counsellor?

There are also a range of questions you can ask that may help you and your counsellor get to the heart of what you want in a career and what career may suit you. These include:

  • How can I build on my strengths?
  • How can I improve my weaknesses?
  • What is the current job market for my industry?
  • Can you provide me feedback on my resume and cover letter?
  • How can I make myself stand out against competitors?
  • How do I optimise my time while studying?
  • Where can I find more information about my intended career?
  • How can I best network in the industry I’m interested in?
  • How do I prepare for an upcoming interview?
  • Can I become a competitive candidate without job experience?
  • What other career resources are available to me?

What do I look for in a career counselling service?

Choosing a career counsellor is a personal choice. But aside from personal preferences and feeling comfortable with your choice of counsellor, other factors you should consider include:

  • The credentials of the counselling service
  • The counsellor’s experience
  • Academic qualifications
  • Professional memberships (such as with the Career Industry Council of Australia)
  • The cost of the counselling service
  • The type of session (online, one-to-one, group etc.)
  • The scope of the session
  • Client testimonials

How do I become a careers counsellor?

If you would like to become a careers counsellor yourself, then a Certificate of Carer Counselling is a great place to start! It will give you the confidence to assist clients with career guidance, identify their career aspirations, and plan the appropriate pathways to support their career development.

As career development is often a lifelong process, a careers counsellor can work with clients of all ages, including in schools, education facilities, organisations, government agencies or in private practice.

Career counsellors play a valuable role in Australian society and its working communities. Their services not only enlighten job seekers and those currently employed but also help those who have experienced job loss or other circumstances that may result in an individual needing to re-evaluate their career path.

The counselling industry, in general, is a large one in Australia, and according to JobOutlook, the field is expected to grow strongly in the next five years, from around 33,000 counsellors in 2020 to nearly 38,000 by 2025.

A counselling career is also a fantastic launching pad for a range of other careers in recruitment, HR management and even running your own business as a recruitment consultant

Boost Business With a Social Media Marketing Online Course

Over 80 per cent of Australians currently use social media. In fact, at 1 hour and 46 minutes per day, it accounts for roughly one-third of the time we spend online, making it the second most popular media activity after watching TV!

A strong social media strategy is crucial in today’s highly competitive, multi-platform, content-driven landscape. Whether you are social media manager, content creator, marketing assistant or run your own business, a social media marketing online course will ensure your social media efforts are productive, proactive and support business goals.

Our  Social Media Strategy course will teach you how to determine social media requirements, establish objects and priorities, and create email marketing, content calendars and video-based content. You will also learn about tracking and analysis tactics, content development strategies, and how to support customer service on social channels.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a social media marketing online course include:OO

  • Learning about strategic, financial, customer-centric, human resource and operational objectives
  • Exploring branding and marketing and customer engagement strategies
  • Gaining an understanding of target markets and converting leads
  • Studying social media and behavioural targeting
  • Examining social media trends, platforms and integration
  • Understanding how to maximising business exposure
  • Attaining knowledge of building brand awareness and online communities
  • Gaining insights into social media policies and media engagement
  • Learning about content guidelines and how to develop guidelines
  • Exploring issues and crisis management
  • Gaining an understanding of legal and ethical considerations
  • Studying marketing strategy
  • Examining content development
  • Understanding customer engagement and customer service strategies
  • Attaining knowledge o social media calendars and action plans
  • Gaining insights into promotional strategies
  • Learning about measuring success and key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Exploring how to track and analyse engagement
  • Gaining an understanding of how to analyse social media reach
  • Studying how to analyse captured data
  • Examining monitoring and evaluation

And more!

Social Media Statistics – April 2022

As you’ll learn in a social media marketing online course, social media users in Australia are some of the most active in the world. Here are the top five social media platforms in terms of visitors or users for April 2022 according to Social Media News.

  1. Facebook – 18,000,000 active, monthly Australian users
  2. YouTube – 17,500,000 unique Australian visitors per month
  3. WhatsApp – 12,000,000 active Australian users
  4. Instagram – 10,000,000 active, monthly Australian users
  5. LinkedIn – 6,500,000 active, monthly Australian users

Social Media Marketing Trends – 2022

Online landscapes are continually evolving, and keeping your finger on the digital pulse of trends is vital if you are keen to undertake a social media marketing online course. Social media management platform, Hootsuite, recently undertook a global trends survey where they surveyed over 18,000 people over 200 countries. Backed up by expert insights and global data, here are their top five trends for 2022.

#1 – Branding

Digital communities have never been more vibrant, richer and more impactful on our experience of daily life than they are now. And social media is one of the platforms where these communities are being created and catered to.

Facebook has over 18 million users in Australia, and many regularly engage within groups. Over 1,100,000 view TikTok, with many developing their own spaces to share and develop their interests — no matter how obscure! And Twitter has even started testing a feature called Communities, which it refers to as, “a dedicated place to connect, share, and get closer to the discussions [people] care about most.”

However, as social media shifts away from mega-influences towards smaller and more authentic communities, brands that partner wisely with content creators are connecting with new audiences. And although social media gives any business online the opportunity to gain a following, a truly engaged and active community needs a brand that has a focus on “relationship marketing” by retaining current audiences and attracting new ones!

#2 – Social Advertising

Despite marketing budgets tightening for many organisations, more than half of those surveyed by Hootsuite said they are planning to increase their paid social spend in 2022 (which is great news for those interested in a social media marketing online course!)

Marketers are looking to spend more on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn (which is not surprising given they are in the top five in 2022). However, marketers are also going beyond these “tried and true” channels as they are finding other channels more effective at reaching business goals than they have in the past. These include platforms like Pinterest, TikTok and Snapchat.

Consumers are holding brands to a higher standard when it comes to creativity, but they are also rewarding brands that get it right. In order to gain return on investment, marketers will need to work harder to create content that mirrors and enriches the distinct experiences each social network offers.

#3  – Return on Investment (ROI)

For over a decade, marketers have struggled to quantitatively link social media to business outcomes. However, after being forced to rely on social media more during the pandemic as a core channel for engaging with customers, things have certainly changed. In Hootsuite’s survey, over 83 per cent of marketers reported having increased levels of confidence in quantifying the ROI of their social media efforts (up from 68 per cent in 2021).

But what’s driving this boost in confidence? Predominately improvements in marketing attribution tools, which grant insights into marketing tactics and touch points that are leading to engagement, conversions, sales and movement through the buyer’s journey. However, the growing willingness of marketers to step away from dated mindsets and models is a major factor as well.

Successful social media marketers in 2022 will enhance their employee advocacy programs to further gather consumer insights, and strive to deliver the impact social media channels have on the marketing they are doing elsewhere in their organisations.

#4  – Social Commerce

Before COVID-19, social commerce was a reasonably new opportunity being tested by the bigger, more innovative retail companies. However, as millions of people went into lockdown around the world, they began voraciously shopping online for purchases small, big, essential and frivolous, and social commerce is now a way of life

Social networks are now the second most important channel for online brand research after search engines. In fact, people aged 16 to 24 actually rank social networks higher than search engines like Google when it comes to brand research.

And while the bricks-and-mortar storefront lives on, in 2022, small businesses will extend the customer experience across social storefronts, while large businesses will test the limits of the online shopping experience.

#5 – Customer Care

Amid staffing shortages and global supply chain challenges, many businesses are continuing to see an influx of unhappy customers. Meanwhile, demand for customers service over social platforms has been surging. Customers are fed up with waiting on hold and find that service delivered via social platforms is convenient, effective and immediate. In a Nielsen survey commissioned by Facebook, 64 per cent of people said they now prefer to message rather than call a business.

Spurred on by lockdowns and shifts in business operations, this has seen social media marketers take on more responsibility, including in the customer service enquiry space. However, this added responsibility has added benefits. Not only will these additional skills enhance your CV, you’ll be in an ideal position to play the hero and steer your employer through the COVID-19 upheaval!

 

Gain the confidence to create a strong social media strategy for an organisation or your own business with a social media marketing online course such as our Social Media Strategy course.

Study Medical Practice Management – Enhance Your Career

With up to 10,000 practice manager jobs expected to be created over the next five years, frontline management and leadership skills are vital to anyone wanting to manage a professional practice in the health and medical industries. Thismedical practice management course is ideal for current practice managers and medical receptionists or anyone seeking a career in a broad range of healthcare settings.

Our Advanced Certificate of Practice Management will teach you how to understand legal and ethical compliance, and manage health billing, accounting systems, financial plans and budgets. You will also learn about leadership, frontline management, customer service, the health industry, diversity, and workplace health and safety.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a medical practice management course include:

  • Learning how to manage quality customer service including ensuring plans achieve the quality, time and cost specifications agreed with customers.
  • Gaining an understanding of how to ensure the delivery of quality products and services within customer specifications and monitor team performance to meet the organisation’s quality and delivery standards.
  • Studying how to monitor, adjust and review customer service and manage records, reports and recommendations within the organisation’s systems and processes.
  • Examining how to manage budgets and financial plans including preparing contingency plans in the event that initial plans need to be varied.
  • Attaining knowledge of implementing financial management approaches and determine and access resources and systems to manage financial management processes.
  • Gaining insights into monitoring and controlling finances and report on budget and expenditure in accordance with organisational protocols.
  • Studying how to use appropriate medical terminology in oral and written communication and spell and pronounce medical terminology correctly
  • Examining how to manage people performance, confirm performance standards, Code of Conduct and work outputs with relevant teams and individuals, and conduct a risk analysis in accordance with the organisational risk management plan and legal requirements
  • Understanding how to design performance management and review processes to ensure consistency with organisational objectives and policies
  • Attaining knowledge of providing feedback, advising relevant people where there is poor performance and provide on-the-job coaching when necessary.
  • Gaining insights into writing and agreeing on performance improvement and development plans in accordance with organisational policies, and terminate staff in accordance with legal and organisational requirements.
  • Learning how to manage risk and communicate with relevant parties about the risk management process and invite participation.
  • Gaining an understanding of developing and implementing client debt recovery strategies, and monitor debt and adjust debt recovery policy and practices accordingly.
  • Studying how to manage information and data required to maintain subsidy payments and develop the necessary reports and data
  • Examining how to manage legal and ethical compliance, how to develop and communicate policies and procedures, and refer issues or breaches of ethical or legal practice to relevant people.
  • Exploring how to implement and monitor infection and control policies and procedures, and adapt communication to the needs of different workers
  • Gaining an understanding of how to promptly resolve issues raised through consultation or refer to the appropriate personnel, and encourage colleagues to report infection risks and to improve infection prevention and control procedures.
  • Studying how to identify and respond to inadequacies in work procedures and infection prevention and control measures, and document, report and investigate potential breaches.
  • Examining how to manage work health and safety, and access and interpret legislation, regulations, code of conduct and workplace policies and procedures for WHS.
  • Understanding how to facilitate consultation, cooperation and communication, and implement and monitor training programs to ensure identified WHS training requirements are addressed, including induction processes.
  • Gaining insights into developing a WHS action plan, and establishing processes to monitor achievement against the plan.

And more!

Australian Standards for Medical Practice Management

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has been the voice of general practitioners and their staff and patients for more than 60 years. The RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition) was released in February 2022, and offers insightful reading for those looking to undertake a course in medical practice management. Core standards include:

Core standard 1

Criterion C1.1 – Information about your practice

Criterion C1.2 – Communications

Criterion C1.3 – Informed patient decisions

Criterion C1.4 – interpreter and other communication services

Criterion C1.5 – Costs associated with care initiated by the practice

Core standard 2

Criterion C2.1 – Respectful and culturally appropriate care

Criterion C2.2 – Presence of a third party during a consultation

Criterion C2.3 – Accessibility of services

Core standard 3

Criterion C3.1 – Business operation systems

Criterion C3.2 – Accountability and responsibility

Criterion C3.3 – Emergency response plan

Criterion C3.4 – Practice communication and teamwork

Criterion C3.5 – Work health and safety

Criterion C3.6 – Research

Core standard 4

Criterion C4.1 – Health promotion and preventative care

Core standard 5

Criterion C5.1 – Diagnosis and management of health issues

Criterion C5.2 – Clinical autonomy for practitioners

Criterion C5.3 – Clinical handover

Core standard 6

Criterion C6.1 – Patient identification

Criterion C6.2 – Patient health record systems

Criterion C6.3 – Confidentiality and privacy of health and other information

Criterion C6.4 – Information security

Core standard 7

Criterion C7.1 – Content of patient health records

Core standard 8

Criterion C8.1 – Education and training of non-clinical staff

Accreditation for Medical Practices

The RACGP has not only developed Standards for general practices, it also offers advice on accreditation which protects patients from harm by improving the quality and safety of health services. An important element to consider in medical practice management!

In order for practices to be accredited against evidence-based Standards, they must be formally assessed by an accrediting agency approved under the National General practice Accreditation Scheme (the Scheme), which commenced on 1 January 2017.

The Standards

 The Standards are based on the best available evidence of how general practices can provide safe and quality healthcare to their patients. This evidence is based on two sources:

  1. Relevant studies
  2. Level IV evidence (where studies are not available). This is otherwise known as evidence from a panel of experts. To ensure the evidence is as robust as possible, the Standards have been tested by Australian general practices and consumers, and overseen by an expert committee consisting of GPs, academic GPs, practice managers, nurses and consumer representatives.

Practices that can be accredited

Before a practice or health service can be accredited against the Standards, it must be formally assessed by an accrediting agency approved under the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme. There are three criteria:

  1. The practice or health service operates within the model of general practice described in the RACGP’s definition of general practice.
  2. GP services are predominantly of a general practice nature.
  3. The practice or health service is capable of meeting all mandatory indicators in the Standards.

The assessment process

In order for a general practice to be accredited, an approved accreditation agency must be selected from this list of agencies. Each agency has trained surveyors who assess general practices. The agency selected will work with your practice to help you prepare for the accreditation process. They will also appoint a team of surveyors who visit each location from which your practice operates to assess your practice against the Standards.

The Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM)

The AAPM was established over 40 years ago and is a professional association for Practice Managers in healthcare including in general practice, specialist, dental and allied health as well as multi-disciplinary clinics. It offers a wide range of education, networking and membership resources and benefits.

Definition of a Practice Manager

The AAPM has developed the following definition of a Practice Manager that can be used and widely recognised across both the healthcare sector and the general community.

“A Practice Manager may have various titles, for example, Chief Executive Officer, Business Manager, Executive Director, or Director. The definition of a Practice Manager is someone who performs all or some of the Practice Management tasks in a healthcare setting. A Healthcare Practice Manager’s tasks may include strategic planning, review and implementation of processes in a practice that increase efficiency and contribute to the overall notion of excellence in healthcare.”

The Core Principles of Health Care Practice Management

  • Financial management – Having financial literacy with the ability to manage the legal and financial requirements of a practice.
  • Human resources management – Understanding organisational leadership and culture, and ensuring compliance with employment and labour laws.
  • Planning and marketing – Being able to allocate resources to meet the practice’s strategic plans and direction, and identify, anticipate and satisfy customer requirements, including establishing partnerships and strategic alliances.
  • Information management – Understanding data management technology with the ability to facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate information systems, including support, training, security and maintenance.
  • Risk management – Being able to identify, assess, prioritise, monitor and minimise risk, including financial, HR, legal, physical and clinical risks and manage the security of personnel and assets like data, property and equipment.
  • Governance and organisational dynamics – Understanding structures and systems to enable the organisation to make the right decisions with the ability to develop leadership and change-management skills.
  • Business and clinical operations – The ability to ensure the organisation operates efficiently to maximise profit and productivity while providing a safe service to the satisfaction of patients. It includes ensuring efficient processes, sufficient resources, legal compliance and quality assurance programs.
  • Professional responsibility – Promoting ethical standards for individual and organisational behaviour, and maintaining continued professional development to ensure up-to-date knowledge that is applied in ways that benefit patients and the wider community.

Become qualified to seek employment as a practice manager or pursue further studies in a range of similar environments with a medical practice management course such as our Advanced Certificate of Practice Management.

7 Survival Tips When You’re Made Redundant

If you’ve been made redundant, you’re either in shock, or it was expected. Regardless, you’re faced with one of life’s most difficult setbacks. It can happen at any age and any stage of your career. It’s often a shocking and upsetting experience. But you can feel more confident after being made redundant, especially if you think of it as a forced fresh start!

Like they say when one door closes – jump out the window! Okay, so they say another door opens, but it’s more fun to jump out of the windows! But seriously, your state of mind makes all the difference when faced with adversity, so try to stay positive with our seven survival tips!

What is Redundancy?

According to Fair Work Australia, redundancy is defined as being genuine when:

  • Your job doesn’t need to be done by anyone
  • Your employer followed any consultation requirements in the award, enterprise agreement or other registered agreement

Why Were You Made Redundant?

Fair Work Australia states that redundancy occurs when an employer either:

  • Doesn’t need the job to be done by anyone, or
  • Becomes insolvent or bankrupt

A redundancy is likely to occur when a business:

  • Introduces new technology (a job can be done by a machine)
  • Slows down due to lower sales or production
  • Closes down
  • Relocates interstate or overseas
  • Restructures or reorganizes due to a merger or takeover

You’re Not Alone

Redundancy is normal and will not impact finding another job, so don’t shy away from it. You can write that your job ended due to the position being made redundant. According to the employment website SEEK, more than 1 in 4 Australians (26%) have had their role made redundant at some point in their working lives. Further, at least half of us know someone who has been made redundant or impacted ourselves. And keep in mind this data was taken before the pandemic, which has seen global redundancy rates skyrocketing. So, you’re certainly not alone.

How to Recover from Redundancy

While it might feel overwhelming at first, you can recover from redundancy and find a more rewarding job. Through keeping a positive attitude and being organized, you’ll soon be over this hurdle and onto your next challenge. So, you’ve been made redundant. What’s next? We’ve put together seven important tips to help you get back up after the shock of redundancy.

  1. Get the language right

Be aware of how you talk about your experience. Instead of saying ‘I was made redundant, which has negative connotations, say ‘my role was made redundant. It helps to separate yourself from what has happened. You shouldn’t take it personally because redundancy does not reflect your work ethic or ability to do your job. It’s simply that the job no longer exists. You do, and you’ll most likely go on to bigger and better things after redundancy.

  1. Organise your finances

When faced with redundancy, one of the most overwhelming feelings is about personal finances. You should make a budget of your living expenses and determine how to manage essential expenses. If you have a mortgage, talk to your bank. They are often helpful in arranging to put repayments on hold when you’re in a financial crisis. We saw how banks responded during the pandemic, and a personal financial situation is no different. You should also contact the Department of Human Services to see if you’re entitled to any benefits while you search for your next job.

  1. Consider taking on temporary work

Don’t rush into a job because you feel stressed about being made redundant. If you need to get back on track financially, consider taking on freelance or contract work until you’re sure about your next permanent move. Finding this type of work allows you to structure your week, maintain motivation and gain financially while also providing breathing space to think. If you don’t find temporary work straight away, that’s okay too. Take time to process what’s happened, and if you feel you need to stay busy, volunteer your services to a community group or organization.

  1. Reflect on your career direction

Were you happy in your last job? If not, consider changing directions in your career. Now’s an excellent opportunity to follow a passion, start a business, or study for a dream job. If you’re not sure about your new direction, you don’t have to spend a fortune on education to find out. Consider short, professional development courses in the area you’re interested in before diving into a higher education degree.

  1. Banish negative feelings

An adverse event can have you spiralling into a negative headspace, which won’t help your mental health. Make sure you plan your day and include time for exercise, fresh air, healthy eating and self-reflection. If you need some professional help, reach out to your GP to refer you to a mental health professional. Talking about your experience will help you process what’s happened and move into a more healthy state of mind. Remember, you’re not alone – and you’ll be back on your feet again in no time. 

  1. Work on your resume

This is an ideal time to dust off your resume and make it shine. Spend time updating your work history, education and referees. Ask your last manager if they’d be a referee. Better yet, ask for a written letter of recommendation. You should also update your LinkedIn and let your contacts know you’re looking for work (in fact, put out a message on all social channels – friends can give the best recommendations!).

  1. Stay connected to your tribe (or make new connections)

It can feel isolating to be made redundant, especially if all your family and friends are working. It’s important to reach out to people who will help you emotionally. Make plans to catch up for dinner or during their work lunch for a bite to eat. If you’re feeling adventurous, now’s a great time to join a group fitness class (even a free Parkrun) or start a new hobby and expand your social network. Be brave – it will make you stronger!

Being made redundant isn’t easy but stay the course, and you’ll be back working in no time. Research shows that 60 per cent of Australians made redundant find another job within two months. But don’t despair if you’re in the 40 per cent that takes a little longer. It just means you’ll have more time to consider your options.

Discover hundreds of online professional development courses today – it might open your eyes to a new direction you didn’t see coming!

Hungry For a Career Change? Study a Short Nutrition Course!

Good nutrition can optimise health, and understanding how this is achieved is crucial for personal wellbeing and for those involved in the health, fitness and wellbeing industries. This short nutrition course is ideal for nutritionists, health food bloggers and wellness and fitness coaches, and explores the importance of human nutrition in health promotion and disease management.

Our Certificate of Food and Nutrition Disorders will teach you about nutrition and dental health, fibre and diseases of the bowel, vegan, vegetarian and alternative diets, and nutrition during pregnancy. You will also learn about food laws and labels, food allergies and sensitivities, detoxification and body cleansing, and how to set up a nutritional program.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a short nutrition course include:

  • Learning about nutrient imbalance and disease
  • Exploring food risk factors
  • Gaining an understanding of important micronutrients that are often lacking in different diets
  • Studying fats, lipids and cholesterol
  • Examining low salt and low sodium diets
  • Understanding sugar and the types of sugars and sweeteners
  • Attaining knowledge of triglycerides and cholesterol
  • Gaining an understanding of how PEM is diagnosed, treated, prevented and the prognosis for people with PEM
  • Studying health problems and solutions
  • Examining the special considerations for pregnant and nursing women and children
  • Understanding dental problems, tooth structure, the anatomy of teeth and nutrition and dental health
  • Attaining knowledge of fluoride intake, who needs fluoride and calcium intake
  • Gaining insights into the decay process, how to prevent plaque and examples of simple sugars as food
  • Learning about complex carbohydrates, nursing bottle syndrome and how to prevent dental problems
  • Exploring the role of diet, reasons to prevent tooth decay and the causes of tooth decay
  • Gaining an understanding of dental hygiene and homemade toothpastes and mouthwashes
  • Studying fibre and the diseases of the bowel
  • Examining fibre as a complex carbohydrate, how fibre works in the body and fibre in food
  • Understanding health and dietary fibre, resistant starch and how the digestive system works
  • Attaining knowledge of conditions linked to low fibre diets and fibre and the management of blood cholesterol
  • Gaining insights into fibre and diabetes and fibre and weight control
  • Learning about bowel checks and how to increase fibre intake
  • Exploring different ways of eating
  • Gaining an understanding how why how we eat is important and the compatibility of ingredients
  • Studying incompatible and compatible combinations
  • Examining vegetarian, vegan and other alternate diets
  • Understanding the health considerations with non-animal diets
  • Attaining knowledge of how to source non-animal foods
  • Gaining insights into alternative diets for young children and diet in pregnancy
  • Learning about food toxicity and sensitivity
  • Attaining knowledge of food laws and labels and special considerations
  • Gaining insights into food toxicity and food poisoning
  • Learning about bacterial food poisoning and how to prevent it
  • Exploring the characteristics and treatment of bacteria responsible for food poisoning
  • Gaining an understanding of contamination from cooking and from food processing
  • Studying preparation for cooking, food production and processing, milling and refining and the effects of food preparation on nutrition
  • Examining enzymes, microorganisms, rotting and deterioration of food and additives, colourings and flavourings
  • Understanding the ripening of fruit, mechanical deterioration, low temperature damage and hygiene to practice
  • Attaining knowledge of detoxification, body cleansing and the methods of detoxification
  • Gaining insights into fasting, the side effects and symptoms and water therapies
  • Learning about herbal treatments, cathartics and herbsand remedies for digestive complaints and detoxification
  • Exploring massage including Swedish massage and lymphatic drainage massage
  • Gaining an understanding of bowel movements, urination and cautions
  • Studying consulting/giving advice and legalities
  • Examining insurance, professional bodies, ethics and holistic approaches
  • Understanding the consultation, compliance and setting a nutritional program

And more!

National Food and Nutrition Policies

Poor diet is responsible for over seven per cent of Australia’s disease burden — an important statistic that highlights the value of a short nutrition course. The Australian Government’s Department of Health develops policies, resources and initiatives to help Australians eat a healthy and nutritious diet.

Policy work

The Department of Health’s National Preventative Health Strategy aims to help improve the health of Australians over the next ten years, including through a healthier diet. The Strategy provides a long-term and overarching approach to prevention by building systemic change to ensure the best outcomes for all Australians. It identifies areas of focus and outlines the key achievements Australia should be striving for by 2030.

Effective prevention requires a comprehensive and collective effort across sectors to “better prevent disease and to promoteenvironments that support individuals to lead healthy lives”. The responsibility for creating positive change is shared by all governments, the non-government sector, the private sector, academia and research, communities, industries and individuals. Every Australian and every sector has a role to play in achieving this vision.

The Department has also developed the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which helps Australians make healthy food choices.

Legislation

  1. The national Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 aims to:
  • protect public health and safety
  • help Australians make informed choices about the food they eat
  • prevent fraud and misleading conduct by food companies.
  1. Imported food must meet strict requirements under the Biosecurity Act 2015 and Imported Food Control Act 1992 to ensure it is safe. Each state and territory also has its own legislation relating to food safety. The Health portfolio also administers laws on behalf of ministers, which are set out in the Administrative Arrangements Order.

Regulation and compliance

Food companies must adhere to the Food Standards Code when preparing, manufacturing, handling, storing and and serving of food and drinks.

All levels of government work together to protect people’s health and safety under the joint Australian and New Zealand food regulation system:

Initiatives and programs

The Australian Government funds several programs and initiatives to help Australians make healthy food choices:

  • The voluntary Health Star Ratingsystem rates the nutritional value of packaged foods from half a star to five stars. This enables people to quickly compare similar foods – the more stars, the healthier the food.
  • Through the Healthy Food Partnership, it works with the food industry and the public health sector to make healthier food choices easier and more accessible.
  • The Healthy Food Partnership Reformulation Program aims to reduce the amount of sodium, sugar and saturated fat in manufactured and processed foods.
  • Eat for Healthcontains the Australian Dietary Guidelines, tips and advice on eating healthy, and resources to help people make healthy food choices.
  • Nutrient Reference Valuesrecommends the level of nutrients we need to be healthy, based on scientific evidence.

Research

National research gives the Department insights into the eating habits of Australians and how they might affect health and wellbeing. This helps them develop food and nutrition programs and policies that are relevant and effective. National research includes the:

Other affiliations

To support healthy eating among all Australians, the Australian Government works with:

Resources

There are a wide range of resources available that can assist all Australians make healthier food choices and provide valuable insights to those undertaking a short nutrition course. These include:

Gain insights into the importance of nutrition in maintaining optimum health and the management of disease with a short nutrition course such as our Certificate of Food and Nutrition Disorders

Stimulate Your Health Career With a Gut Microbiome Course

Ideal for nutritionists, wellness coaches, health food bloggers or anyone interested in enhancing their health and wellbeing, this gut microbiome course explores the function and management of the human gut microbiome. The human gut microbiome consists of trillions of fungi, bacteria and other microbes. This abundant and complex ecosystem requires a delicate balance to function optimally as it impacts nutrition, mood, mental health, behaviour and immunity.

In our Certificate of Gut Microbiome you will study practical approaches and strategies to maintaining a health gut microbe. This course will give you insights into the functions of microbiome and how to recognise the signs of dysbiosis — a disruption to the microbiota homeostasis caused by an imbalance in the microflora, changes in their functional composition and metabolic activities, or a shift in their local distribution. You will also learn how to implement a plan for optimising health through improving the gut microbiome.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a gut microbiome course include:

  • Learning what microbiome are and how gut microbiome are established and maintaining the microbiome as adults
  • Exploring the gastrointestinal tract, stomach and small and large intestine
  • Gaining an understanding of birthing and breastfeeding
  • Studying diet and nutrition for improving the microbiome, lifestyle and other factors and the gut microbiome effect
  • Examining the contribution to metabolic function and protecting against pathogens
  • Understanding how to educate the immune system and gut microbe disruption and dysbiosis
  • Attaining knowledge of genetics, metagenomics and metabolomics
  • Gaining insights into bioinformatics, microbiome heritability, health hereditary, metabolomics and technologies
  • Learning about bacteria metabolism, short chain fatty acids, organic acids and vitamins
  • Exploring DNA sequencing technologies, next generation sequencing, the applications of PCR and DNA sequencing and metagenomics
  • Gaining an understanding of samples and sampling techniques, biopsy, luminal brushing, laser capture micro-dissection and sampling considerations
  • Learning about firmicutes, proteobacteria and bad biota
  • Exploring about diet, how to nurture a healthy gut and what happens to microbes with antibiotics
  • Gaining an understanding of how to maintain the gut environment
  • Studying an anatomy overview, the stomach and the small and large intestine environment
  • Examining how to manage the large intestine and the large intestine environment, diarrhoea and digestion
  • Understanding microbiome and hormones and microbiome and allergies
  • Attaining knowledge of microbe imbalances, gut dysbiosis, stomach conditions and abdominal pain
  • Gaining insights into bloating, leaky gut syndrome and then function and process of inflammation
  • Learning about biosensors, gut health treatment and nutrition-based interventions
  • Exploring lifestyle practices including stress reducing techniques
  • Gaining an understanding of faecal microbiota transplants
  • Studying diseases and immunity
  • Gaining an understanding of homeostatis and gut microbiota and how nutrition can affect it
  • Attaining knowledge of the future of psychobioticsand psychobiotics in the diet
  • Gaining insights into the applications of gut microbiome management
  • Learning how to cultivate and grow the gut microbiome and the right conditions for microbes to thrive
  • Exploring pre-schoolers, young children and the microbiome
  • Gaining an understanding of teenagers, young adults and the microbiome
  • Understanding adults and the microbiome
  • Studying behaviour and temperament and improving cognition and learning
  • Examining mucosal immunity, stress, arthritis and pain management and grief and emotional disturbances
  • Understanding how to increase psychobiotics in the diet and enhancing microbiota in ways other than through eating
  • Attaining knowledge of more strategies to address SIBO and responding to subsequent small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO) or eradication of H.Pylori
  • Gaining insights into biofilm disruption and preventing sporulatio

And more!

Why is microbiome research important?

Humans are host to an enormous invisible ecosystem of microbes that influence almost every system in the body. The most common microbes that live in or on our bodies are bacteria, viruses, archaea, fungi and protozoa. This intriguing community of microbes are collectively known as our microbiota.

Our microbiota contributes to over fifty percent of our cellular makeup and can influence a wide range of physiological functions including our appetite, mood and immune responses. The collective genetic material of the microbiota, our microbiome, is remarkably dynamic.

However, we know very little about how our microbiome swings the pendulum between disease and health. What we do know, and what you’ll study in a gut microbiome course, is that there is an inextricable link between the balance and diversity of our microbiome and our susceptibility to disease.

The abundance of our thriving, beneficial microbes keeps the pathogenic microbes in check and maintains a harmonious balance. However, when pathogenic microbes dominate, this balance is disturbed and we enter a state of dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis is associated with several diseases including cancer, obesity, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our diet, lifestyle choices, medications and the environment we live in can influence the composition of the microbiome.

Research is realising the potential of the human microbiome. By understanding how over one million genes contributed by the human microbiome, together with our 25,000 inherited genes nurture our state of health, we can better improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of several diseases.

Gut Microbiome research covers several diseases that fall under the following themes — cancer, immunity and inflammation, infection, critical care, women and children’s health, and mental health and neuroscience. Research is particularly interested in skin cancer, liver cancer and gastrointestinal cancers including gastric, oesophageal and colorectal cancer. Research also studies the role of microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease, fatty liver disease, urogynecological diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, thrombosis, pregnancy and pregnancy-related diseases, Helicobacter pylori infection and its associated diseases, and schizophrenia and various autoimmune diseases.

Microbiome test kits

Many experts believe gut flora plays a significant role in preventing disease and may even influence your mental health. If you are studying a  gut microbiome course, you may be familiar with books such as Giulia Enders’ Gut and Michael Mosley’s Clever Guts, as well as direct-to-consumer (DTC) gut microbiome tests.

As scientists continue to unravel the secrets of the human gut, many are fascinated by the possibilities these discoveries may offer. And understanding our own unique gut microbiome and how we can optimise it to potentially prevent disease, improve health and enhance our quality of life is certainly a compelling prospect. But what do the experts say?

Dr Sam Forster, group leader at the Microbiota and Systems Biology Laboratory, Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, looked at the results of two of the most popular gut microbiome tests.

He was impressed at how they were interpreted and presented, however, comments, “I think there’s a danger of people over-interpreting their results and making major diet and lifestyle changes based on an association with a particular bacteria that may be detrimental for some people but beneficial for others. It should be seen as a component of a wider evaluation of your health”.

While scientific knowledge of the gut microbiome has come a long way in a short space of time, Forster says it’s important to be mindful that we still have a great deal to learn.

“I do see the weaknesses at the moment, and it’s our lack of knowledge. We aren’t yet able to say that for you, at this time of your life, with your genetics, with your lifestyle, that this bacteria is absolutely going to be positive or negative,” he says.

Forster adds that, while interesting, no action should be taken on the results of these tests without the advice and supervision of a medical specialist or dietitian who is able to interpret the results.

“I don’t think it will ever be a scenario where you’d be interpreting the results on your own. I mean, it’s equivalent to someone getting a detailed blood chemistry result and trying to interpret it,” he says.

Nicole Dynan, an accredited practising dietitian, a spokesperson for Dietitians Australia and a Microba-certified dietitian has also commented that although they are a great resource for curious people, they are not yet ready to be used as a diagnostic tool.

As she says, “The reason to take that test is really from the point of view of being interested in the information it provides. These tests aren’t necessarily diagnostic at this stage but they certainly can give you some insight. It’s definitely worth speaking with somebody that’s had some training in these test interpretations, to make sure you’re reading it correctly. You should be aware of the limitations of these results and if you have any concerns you should definitely talk to your health professional about it”.

Reference:

Kylie Matthews & Rachel Clemons, 2020, Gut health check-up: should you use a microbiome test kit? Choice

Enhance your career prospects and your own health and wellbeing with a gut microbiome course such as our Certificate of Gut Microbiome.

Learn Helpful Anxiety Management Techniques

Whether you’re managing your own anxiety or want to help others manage theirs, our Certificate of Anxiety Management is a practical resource. Awareness is crucial to controlling the escalation of anxiety, and understanding anxiety management techniques will help alleviate this uncomfortable emotion.

If you work with people in a caring, teaching or counselling role, this course will give you the strategies you need to help clients manage their anxiety. You’ll also learn what constitutes normal anxiety and when to suspect an anxiety disorder. This professional development course will also give you the knowledge and skills to create an anxiety management plan for a client, patient or student in your care.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll discover many anxiety management techniques in this course, plus the following topics:

  • Normal Anxiety
  • The Autonomic Nervous System
  • Anxiety Today
  • Types of Anxiety Disorders
  • Defining Anxiety and Panic Disorders
  • What are Anxiety Disorders?
  • Physical Affects of Anxiety
  • Mental Symptoms of Anxiety
  • Anxiety Symptoms in Children
  • Recognising Anxiety
  • What is Panic?
  • Panic Symptoms in Children
  • The Difference Between Anxiety and Panic
  • Managing Anxiety: Anxiety Management Plans
  • Methods of Managing Anxiety – Developing an Anxiety Management Plan
  • Anxiety Spirals
  • Understanding Triggers
  • Dealing with Triggers
  • Helping Children Articulate Feelings
  • Medication
  • Making an Anxiety Management Plan
  • Biofeedback
  • Managing Social Anxiety Disorder
  • What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
  • Treating Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Managing Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • A Day in the Life of a Person With GAD
  • Recognising Anxiety Triggers
  • Managing Anxiety
  • Self-Help Ideas for GAD
  • Managing Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
  • Panic Disorder
  • Treating Panic Attacks
  • Agoraphobia
  • Treating Agoraphobia
  • Managing Environmental Factors that Increase Anxiety and Panic
  • Defining the Term Environment
  • Environmental Management
  • Strategies to Manage the Environment to Reduce Anxiety
  • Alternative Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Panic
  • Pet Therapy
  • Horticultural Therapy
  • Ecotherapy
  • Creative Therapy
  • Play Therapy
  • Project – Anxiety Management

And more!

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone will experience at some point in their life. It’s only problematic when it becomes an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders negatively affect a person’s life as it interferes with social, professional, and educational experiences.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety manifests in many ways and is experienced differently by everyone. Understanding the different types of anxiety disorders and how to implement anxiety management techniques is an important tool for any professional. There are six major anxiety disorders, each with its own challenges and treatment options.

  1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Feeling worried or anxious sometimes, like when preparing for an exam or job interview, is expected. The type of anxiety experienced during heightened stress can help people feel motivated and achieve goals.

So, anxiety can be positive by providing extra energy (mental or physical) to perform at our peak. However, it becomes problematic when this anxiety is experienced every day, even multiple times a day. The types of worry that interfere with life are intense and persistent and can wreak havoc on an individual’s work, family and social life.

Symptoms: excessive worry that work, study or socialising becomes challenging.

  1. Panic Disorder

While many people may experience a panic attack once or twice in their lives, panic disorder is associated with recurrent and disabling attacks of anxiety (panic attacks) that come ‘out of the blue’ and are followed by a persistent worry that another will occur.

Symptoms: a sense of overwhelming panic or fear; feelings of dying, choking, losing control or going mad; increased heart rate; difficulty breathing (like there’s not enough air); excessive sweating; dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint.

  1. OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Individuals with OCD experience intrusive thoughts, obsessions and compulsions that have a profound negative impact on their lives. It is estimated that around two to three percent of Australians (more than 500,000 people) have OCD. The condition is characterised by recurrent and persistent thoughts, images, or intrusive or undesired impulses. People with OCD also perform repetitive behaviours that are excessive and time-consuming. While those with the condition are aware the thoughts and behaviour are irrational, they feel unable to control their obsessions.

Symptoms: repetitive thoughts/concerns not connected with genuine problems; repetitive behaviours; constant checking.

  1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is brought on by a traumatic event that threatens an individual’s life or feelings of safety. As a result, people feel a prolonged sense of fear and hopelessness even long after the event. Around 12 percent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with serious accidents being the leading cause of the illness.

Symptoms:

  • Being easily startled or frightened
  • Always being on guard for danger
  • Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behaviour
  • Overwhelming guilt or shame

  1. Social Anxiety Disorder

It’s normal to feel some social anxiety when in unfamiliar company or when in the spotlight. Many people will feel anxious about giving a speech at a wedding or presentation at work, but social phobia leads to intense, debilitating fear. People with a social anxiety disorder have a persistent fear of being judged, criticised, laughed at or embarrassed in the company of others.

Symptoms: excessive sweating, trembling, blushing, stammering, nausea or diarrhoea.

  1. Phobia

A phobia is a fear of a specific situation, activity, animal or object that is irrational and extreme. While many people fear dangerous animals, like snakes, the response is rational if it poses a risk to safety. However, those with a phobia of a snake will avoid any areas where a snake may live and even looking at a photo of a snake causes extreme fear and anxiety. Specific phobias are often related to fear of having a panic attack, so avoidance behaviour is repeated.

Specific phobias are generally catorgorised into the following areas:

Animal – fear of snakes or dogs

Natural environment – fear of thunderstorms or heights

Situational – fear of driving or shopping centres

Medical/injury – fear of needles, blood or breaking bones

Other – fear of vomiting or choking

Symptoms: persistent, excessive and unreasonable fear of an object, activity or situation (dogs, flying, driving, heights); avoidance behaviour.

Children and Anxiety

Anxiety disorders affect one in 14 young people and children in Australia. So, while anxiety is normal and can affect anyone, including children, as parents, carers or professionals working with children, it’s helpful to understand anxiety disorders and to be able to incorporate anxiety management techniques.

Feel confident in managing anxiety, whether personally or professionally, through learning about anxiety management techniques and how to create an anxiety management plan. Enrol in Certificate of Anxiety Management today.

Sheep Farming Course – Raise Sheep (& Prospects)

Sheep farming is a diverse agricultural export enterprise for wool, meat and dairy production. This course is ideal for farmers, farmhands, farm supervisors, wool brokers or anyone who wants to raise sheep or improve their prospects on a sheep farm.

Our Certificate of Sheep Farming will give you insights into the sheep farming industry, including processes and techniques to market sheep and sheep products. In this sheep farming course, you will learn about terminology, nutrition, selection and breeding, wool production, sheep rearing and management systems, and disease management and prevention. You will also study feeding, the factors that affect wool yield, and sales and marketing techniques for sheep and related products.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a sheep farming course include:

  • Learning about terminology and breeds
  • Exploring sheep breeds and the factors that affect the choice of breed
  • Gaining an understanding of climate and vegetation, internal parasites, product and market and rearing and management systems
  • Studying UK breeds, including Dorset Horn, Suffolk and Romney
  • Examining Australian and New Zealand breeds, including the merino, Border Leicester, Southdown, Polwarth and Turkdale
  • Understanding South African breeds, including Damara, the Dormer, the Dorper and the South African mutton merino
  • Attaining knowledge of the Ile de France and Ronderib Afrikaner
  • Gaining insights into selection and breeding including oestrus, the gestation period, weaning, mouthing, selection, economically important traits, growth rate and reproductive efficiency
  • Learning about carcass quality, wool traits, culling old ewes, reproduction and physical factors, selecting replacement ewes and rams, culling for age, and culling for reproductive performance and physical abnormalities
  • Exploring how to buy a replacement ram, commercial sheep production, choosing a lambing time and the advantages and disadvantages of Autumn and Spring lambing
  • Gaining an understanding of accelerated lambing, managing the ewe prior to mating, using hormones to control reproduction and managing the ram prior to the breeding season
  • Studying joining (mating) methods, flock joining (group mating), and hand and individual mating
  • Examining the anatomy of the ewe and ram reproductive organs, ultrasonic scanning of ewes, mating records and the signs of lambing
  • Understanding the nutrition of sheep including sheep nutrition, condition scoring, loin transverse cross section and when to condition score
  • Attaining knowledge of the factors affecting feed requirements, the animal’s production and environmental influences
  • Gaining insights into feed requirements including feeding rams and ewes
  • Learning about the reproduction and lactation stages and feeding lambs and fatteners
  • Exploring nutrition and wool production, mineral needs and vitamins and waters
  • Gaining an understanding of the common sheep diseases and disease prevention
  • Studying viral and rickettsial diseases, contagious ecthyma (ORF, contagious pustular dermatitis, scabby mouth), contagious ophthalmia (ovine infectious keratoconjunctivitis), blue tongue (BTV), rift valley fever and Wesselbron disease, bacterial diseases, clostridial diseases and pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia)
  • Exploring internal parasites
  • Gaining an understanding of the categories of drenches
  • Studying the general management of commercial flocks including handling and dipping facilities, shower or power spray dips and foot baths
  • Examining drenching, drenching practices and injecting
  • Understanding hoof trimming, shearing, castration, tail docking and weighing and recording
  • Attaining knowledge of the species of flies, blowfly strike and the factors affecting, types and control of fly strike
  • Gaining insights into tail docking and mulesing and crutching
  • Learning about the classes and unique characteristics of wool
  • Exploring wool classing and processing, the factors influencing the estimation of yield, piece picking, wool scouring and carding
  • Gaining an understanding of the marketing of sheep and sheep products
  • Attaining knowledge of private selling, wool buying, AWC appraisers, the wool exchange and wool auctions, transfers and false packing, delivery and dumping, lamb and mutton marketing and paddock sales and sale yard auctions
  • Gaining insights into over-the-hook sales, electronic marketing, live sheep exports and forward price contracts
  • Learning about the factors affecting the value of lamb or mutton, carcass weight and skin value and payment bases (hot or cold weight)

And more!

Top Australian and New Zealand sheep breeds

Merio

This is the predominant breed of sheep in Australia. It was first introduced into the country in 1797 and over the years it was developed for wool production. It has also been used for cross-breeding with British Short Wool and Long Wool breeds for mutton and prime lamb production.

British Long Wool Breeds

These were originally bought to Australia for experimental purposes, and include:

  • This sheep is hornless with a large frame.
  • English Leicester. This is a hornless sheep with a large frame and black feet.
  • Border Leicester. A large-framed, hornless sheep, it is a popular breed for producing first cross (Merino ewe x Border Leicester ram) ewes.
  • This is a large-framed sheep with a white, hornless head that is free from wool. It produces prime lamb sires.
  • Romney Marsh. This is a large-framed hornless sheep with has a white face and kemp fibres on its legs and face. When crossed with British Short Wool breeds, they produce high quality lamb.

British Short Wool Breeds

These are commonly known as Downs breeds. They have fine grain meat and are commonly used as prime lamb sires. They include:

  • This sheep has a wide back and a small, chunky frame. Its head is well-covered with wool and it has no horns.
  • Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset. These are renowned as prime lamb sires and are usually mated to Merino, British Long Wool or Merino cross ewes.
  • This is hornless sheep with a wide back, a medium blocky frame and black legs, hooves and head. The White Suffolk is an Australian breed that has been developed for Australian conditions. It is predominately a meat sheep breed.
  • This is a well-developed, lean and heavily-muscled sheep. It is predominately a meat breed.

Australasian Breeds

These include:

  • This is a dual-purpose sheep and was developed by mating purebred Merino ewes with English Long Wool Lincoln rams. They have a large framed body and a polled head, dark hooves and wooled legs.
  • This is a dual-purpose sheep bred from a Lincoln-Merino Cross. It has a large framed body and is well wooled. Equal emphasis is placed on meat and wool production.
  • This sheep is a result of combining Border Leicester and Romney Marsh bloodlines and was developed in New Zealand. It has excellent mothering and milking ability.

Snapshot of the Sheep Meat and Wool Industry

As you’ll learn in our sheep farming course, Australia is a major producer and exporter of sheep products. In fact, according to the Wool Producers Australia and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), the country is the largest exporter of sheep meat and prime quality fine wool. It encompasses:

A diverse landscape

Australia’s sheep industry is an extensive pasture-based industry, with an average flock size of around 2000 sheep. Sheep are produced in a wide range of climates — from the arid and semi-arid parts of the inland regions to the medium to high rainfall areas of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, southern Western Australia and Tasmania. Sheep are grazed on pastures year-round, with supplementary feeding occurring when there are pasture shortages.

Commitment to the industry

The nature of Australia’s unique landscape brings numerous challenges to farming, which have led to innovative methods of production. Investment in research, innovation and development through the levy scheme also ensures that farming practices remain competitive.

The sheep industry has two Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) — Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). Both RDCs invest in producer levies and matched funds from the Australian Government in research, information, development and marketing.

Sustainable sheep production

Sheep play an integral role in the ability of Australian farmers to sustainably manage the land. Sheep producers work to protect, preserve and improve the natural resources and biodiversity on their farms and manage an estimated 65.8 million hectares of land.

When managed well, sheep can regenerate the land on which they graze by initiating the regeneration of pastures, controlling and managing weed infestation, and encouraging an increase in soil biota diversity. By supporting, protecting and encouraging biodiversity in the soil, insect life, vegetation and fauna, sheep producers can ensure farm ecosystems thrive.

Wool is a natural, biodegradable and renewable fibre. Wool-producing sheep are shorn at least once a year, and sheep are often retained by the same producer over their lifetime. This maintains bloodlines and genetics over many generations.

Integrity and quality systems

The sheep industry takes quality standards seriously — from the demonstration and reporting of specific measures to anticipating and establishing customer specifications. These sophisticated traceability systems guarantee the integrity of Australia’s wool products and sheep meat to customers.

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) provides identification and lifetime traceability of sheep. The national Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) is an on-farm assurance program covering animal welfare, food safety, biosecurity and traceability. It protects the disease-free status of Australian

sheep and underpins the reputation of products as safe, clean and natural.

The Australian National Wool Declaration (NWD) and Classers’ Specifications are the standardised mechanisms by which  woolgrowers declare specific wool quality, on-farm practices and traceability. Australian wool is bought and sold with an International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) test certificate that characterises all critical features of each bale of wool.

The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep apply to all those responsible for the care and management of sheep. They are based on current scientific knowledge, community expectations, and recommended industry practice.

Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework

The Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework was released in 2021 by the Australian sheep meat and wool industry and led by Sheep Producers Australia and Wool Producers Australia. It was initiated to identify areas for improvement, demonstrate sustainable practices and better communicate with consumers and customers. It is insightful reading for those interested in undertaking a sheep farming course.

The Framework has four themes:

  1. Caring for our sheep. Which involves (a) Animal care and handling – reducing, refining and replacing painful husbandry practices, implementing best practice sheep management and ensuring humane processing and on-farm euthanasia and (b) Animal health – preventing and managing disease.
  2. Enhancing the environment and climate. Which involves (a) Environment – improving natural resource management, responsible environmental practices and encouraging biodiversity and (b) Climate change – reducing net greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing climate, including extreme weather events.
  3. Looking after our people, our customers and the community. Which involves (a) Health and safety – improving industry safety culture and improving our people’s health, (b) Capacity building – supporting and growing the workforce and encouraging workforce diversity, and (c) Contributing to the community – enhancing community trust and delivering products that customers demand.
  4. Ensuring a financially resilient industry. Which involves (a) Profitability, productivity and investment – maintaining or increasing industry profitability, maintaining or increasing the contribution to the Australian economy, increasing productivity, and encouraging innovation, and (b) Market access – ensuring positive market positioning and access and guaranteeing product integrity and safety.

 

Enhance your awareness of sheep and the sheep industry to work with sheep or develop a start-up farm with a sheep farming course such as our Certificate of Sheep Farming.

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