annual general meeting report 2016 - compact...

Annual General Meeting

Report 2016 10th May, 2017

The annual meeting of the Board of Management of COMPACT Incorporated.

This document contains the year report on progress of previous and future

activities

2016 AGM Report 10th May, 2017 1

Contents

Chairperson’s Report .............................................................................................................................. 2

Executive Officer’s Report ...................................................................................................................... 3

Work Placement Service Provider Program Report ................................................................................ 8

Burrabinya – Leap to Your Future ........................................................................................................... 9

CREW – Confident, Ready and Engaged for Work ................................................................................ 10

Youth Frontiers – Mentoring Program .................................................................................................. 11

Community Engagement ...................................................................................................................... 12

Albury Wodonga Youth Collective .................................................................................................... 12

Youth Mental Health Forum ............................................................................................................. 12

Business Development Report .............................................................................................................. 13


Chairperson’s Report

2016 has been one of consolidation and achievement for COMPACT Inc. and. signified the first year of

a new amalgamated entity and the first year servicing the new Workplacement Services Tender and

full operation of the expanded organisational model across the Riverina/Murray Region. This was a

rewarding and hectic time for all staff involved, and I must thank our Executive Officer, Megan

Mulrooney, and her team for the effort made to get the new organisation up and running and servicing

contracts across new areas and with added staff and responsibilities.

Lessons learned from this period were translated into an improved organisational structure

commencing in 2017, with redefined staff roles, additional staff training and a fresh team to meet the

challenges of the year ahead. The COMPACT team is working well to deliver on current commitments,

but also looking to build future capacity and identify possible alliances, partnerships and new business

across the region, where possible.

I must also thank Mary Hoodless from Karoo Consultancy who was enlisted to embark on a Business

Development project to provide evidence-based advice for COMPACT Inc. going forward. Mary’s

Business Development report has contributed significantly to the organisation and planning for the

future, resulting in some new business success.

Significant expenditure has been outlaid in the past 12 months to improve both efficiency of service

and communication across the region. This includes updated ICT infrastructure and leasing of new

premises in various locations. Special mention must be made of the extra effort and commitment by

our Board Treasurer, Jane Barnes, during this period. COMPACT Inc. has a Board of Management that

truly represents the whole of the Riverina Murray region and reflects its diversity. Since our last AGM,

we have seen the loss of three long serving Board members, due to their ongoing and changed work

and personal commitments. Both Crispin Lowe and Michelle Swan (COMPACT) and Ben Foley (MICEEP

& COMPACT) have contributed greatly with their leadership and positive guidance to the organisation

over many years. Crispin had been the Chairperson for six years while Michelle had been a board

member for thirteen years and during this time also assisted as Deputy Chairperson. I wish to thank

them and their families for their commitment to the organisation.

Important program milestones have included the completion of the CREW program delivered in

Albury, Culcairn and Corowa with successful employment and education outcomes for many young

participants. Our staff members have successfully facilitated approximately 3500 work placements

across the Riverina Murray region, engaging with schools and business owners across a wide range of

subject areas. Great results have been seen in engagement of participants from the Burrabinya - Leap

to your Future program for Aboriginal students in Tumut, Junee and Wagga Wagga, with participating

schools acknowledging this high quality program.

This year has been a busy and rewarding one, as I have attempted to fill the position of Acting

Chairperson and I wish to acknowledge the support and dedication of my fellow Board members.

I am truly grateful for the effort the Staff and Board of COMPACT Inc. have put in and I would like to

thank each of you for your contribution of hard work in the past year.

Chris Woods

Chairperson (Acting) May 2017


Executive Officer’s Report

2016 was a year of extensive growth for COMPACT Incorporated. As a result of amalgamation with

Albury based organisation, MICEEP Inc. and the acquisition of two Work Placement Service Provider

region contracts (H and I (part B) through the NSW Department of Education, our service delivery area

effectively trebled in size.

In all organisations, with amalgamation and restructure comes staffing changes and movements. I

would like to acknowledge the extensive work undertaken by Louise McDonald, our HR/ Program

Manager, in the recruitment and appointment of eight (8) new staff members across such a large

geographical area. Most of February through to April was taken up with staff recruitment and training,

along with closing the MICEEP premises and setting up new offices in TAFE NSW Albury, Deniliquin

and Leeton campuses.

Our Workplacement and supporting administration staff must be congratulated on completing all

Work placement requirements, with few issues, along with operational training and support for all

new staff during this very busy time.

COMPACT provided an opportunity for professional development for regional Workplacement staff,

held in Queanbeyan, in partnership with our neighbours Capital region BEC, Workplace Learning –

Illawarra and Western Student Connections. Each of these organisations along with COMPACT cover

the NSW Dept. of Education Region 4. Designed and developed by Anja Livingstone, Gerry McLean and

myself, this training was the first of its kind and the model was adopted and implemented by other

regions across NSW.

I was fortunate to spend an extensive amount of time travelling in 2016, visiting schools and meeting

with Principals and VET staff across the Riverina Murray, to introduce myself and showcase the

opportunities, service and partnerships that COMPACT Inc. currently provide, along with strategic

discussions about their future needs. It gave me the opportunity to better understand each area and

the needs and challenges faced by schools, young people and industry due to the diversity across the

region both economically and geographically.

It has been an exciting opportunity for me to develop new relationships and strong strategic

partnerships to support young people in their transition from school to work, with the communities

across the Riverina Murray. This is a work in progress over such an extensive region and will be a

continual focus for me as Executive Officer.

In Wagga Wagga, I have been invited, representing COMPACT, to be a member of the Headspace

consortium which allows us to gain better understanding of the mental health and wellbeing issues

facing young people, impacting on their education and employment capacity. I continue to support

the Youth Mental Health forum in Wagga Wagga, in an advisory role and provide some administrative

support.

I was invited to address the Housing Industry Association - Riverina Board in Wagga to discuss some

of the issues facing construction employers in recruitment of Apprentices and the reduction of interest

in young people in taking up Constriction as a career. This will be followed up in 2017 to discuss career

promotion activities with the Board.

The Business Development Project funded by the COMPACT Board and facilitated by Mary Hoodless

of Karoo Consultancy, provided many opportunities for COMPACT to investigate different funding

opportunities and partnerships. This lead to investigation into a Social Impact model for young people


exiting the NSW Juvenile Justice system. A meeting was convened inviting all key community

stakeholders to investigate the possibility of partnership to support young people across the Riverina

Murray once they exit the Juvenile Justice system and need to integrate back into mainstream

education and employment. While the matter of working in partnership was a very positive result, it

was agreed by all parties that the Social Impact Bond model was far too difficult to implement and

administer. COMPACT was asked to continue to look for opportunities in this area, and would be

supported by the stakeholders including Anglicare, Centacare Southwest, Red Cross, Wagga Wagga

City Council, Relationships Australia and Mission Australia. The Business Development project allowed

COMPACT to investigate some new areas of business including an Employability Skills Workshop for

CALD students attending Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga and Albury. Through this project,

we were successful in gaining Dept. of Industry funding through the Murray Darling Basin – Energise

Enterprise initiative, along with Links to Learning funding for 2017-2019.

I have been involved in the Albury Wodonga Youth Collective over the past 12 months, which is a

meeting of key stakeholders working to address high youth unemployment issues in Albury Wodonga.

This has been an interesting journey with multiple groups in Albury doing the same thing. I am working

closely with our Victorian colleagues NELLEN, to identify ways to ensure this group continues as a

strategic alliance, rather than an interagency. 2017 will allow for us to work closely with RDA Murray

to realign values, aims and objectives of this group, to implement a Collective model with tangible

outcomes. I have been approached by eWorks, in Murray region who have been awarded the Federal

Govt – Empowering Youth funding in Albury Wodonga. The Executive Officer has asked me to be

included as a part of their community advisory group, to which I have agreed. It was of interest to me

that their successful model, was almost identical to the model that we put forward under the same

funding guidelines.

In the Leeton and Griffith area, I have attended the NSW Skills Board dinner hosted by Training

Services NSW, which brought together industry leaders to speak with the Board about issues facing

Apprenticeships and Traineeships. This meeting provided an opportunity for me to meet with some

of the large local industry representatives in the western area, along with key decision makers for the

training sector. I was also invited to attend the Griffith Secondary school’s education workshop which

focused on the new proposal to invest individually in the two public high schools in Griffith, or to

amalgamate both into one ‘Super’ school. I look forward to learning of the Department’s final decision

on this contentious issue and to understand how COMPACT may support with services into the future.

Regional VET Advisory meetings have been developed across the region and held in Wagga Wagga,

Albury, Deniliquin, Griffith, Leeton, Cootamundra and Tumut. Training NSW have been invited to be a

permanent guest, along with Senior Pathways Officer from NSW Dept. of Education and CSO

Vocational Education Manager. We are ensuring that industry have valuable input and invite a local

employer to speak with VET coordinators about student work readiness, industry skill requirements

and career opportunities. Feedback has been extremely positive and engagement level by all

stakeholders has been excellent, with strong enthusiasm to continue and develop.

I was provided the opportunity to speak at the Regional Principal’s network in Wagga Wagga in

November. Principals attended from all schools in the Riverina Murray. I provided a presentation on

our Business Development project – outlining the outcomes from the business sector, and presented

the new suite of programs that COMPACT had available as Fee for service in 2017.


In 2016, we partnered with TAFE NSW to apply for the Women in STEM tender, to provide a STEM

related project for female students right across the region. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful on

this occasion, however we will continue to look for opportunities to work together.

Strong relationships are being developed with NELLEN in Wodonga, who are the Victorian equivalent

of COMPACT. Bev Hoffman, CEO, and myself have been in discussion about future opportunities to

work together in Albury Wodonga. I have had meetings with Regional Development Australia in both

Murray and Riverina regions, to look for ways to work together. There will be opportunities in 2017 to

continue these discussions and investigations.

At a State level, I have attended NSW Dept. of Education training workshop and the NSW Work

Placement Service Providers network meetings. The WPSP Network managers agreed to invest $750

per organisation to initiate proceedings in establishing as an entity to operate as a professional

alliance. It is envisioned that the 16 Work Placement Service Providers will work together as a strategic

peak which will allow for state-wide or national tender applications and operate as a formal

organisation to work collaboratively with the Education and Employment sector.

I have worked closely with NSW Dept. of Education on a regional level and was invited to act as a

member of a selection panel for the recent Senior Pathways Officer vacancy. I have also been invited

to be a member of the RYTO Management Board for NSW Dept. of Education Region 4, which provides

an excellent opportunity to contribute to quality of the VET delivery in Region 4.

COMPACT has always delivered a strong suite of programs to schools and young people. The only

variable now is whether we are funded to deliver a program, or whether our clients have purchased a

service. From 2016, this is a significant change in the way COMPACT (and schools) do business. I have

had to make some difficult decisions about our program offerings. As a result of this, we have handed

the Jobs Careers & Training Exchange to the Wagga Wagga Career Advisers Association, to ensure its

sustainability. The JCT Exchange will now be a part of the Wagga Wagga Career Expo, to be held in

June 2017. This will enhance the existing Tertiary Awareness day and provide a full suite of career

options to the young people of the Wagga Wagga and surrounding schools.

It was disappointing to need to place the Build a Bridge…& get over it! Engineering camp in recess for

2016. This would have been its 11th year of operation, however competing pressures on REROC (the

Fit for the Future Council amalgamations) and with COMPACT’s growth and funding changes, and a

loss of funding support by RMS, it was agreed to recess the camp for one year. I met with John

Roydhouse, CEO of IPWEA (NSW), to discuss the future of the camp, and advised their ongoing support

and connection with industry contacts. REROC and COMPACT are committed to reinstating Build a

Bridge in 2017.

Our investment in Communications officer. Michael Phelan, has been beneficial, with the upgrade of

our website and Facebook pages, increasing ITC connectivity, improving our corporate branding and

style guide and enabling us to work effectively across such a large region. We continue to see some

connectivity issues, which should be improved significantly with connection to the NBN. We will

continue to improve our public profile in 2017 through all forms of media.

We were successful in gaining Links 2 Learning 2017 – 2019 funding and have developed a new

program called LEAP – Learn, Engage, Aspire, Perform, which is aimed at encouraging disengaged

students to see the value of education on their career journey. Successful schools were Deniliquin,

Wagga High, Tumut High, Murrumburrah High and Wade High in Griffith.


The CREW – Confident, Ready and Engaged for Work program is now being offered as a program

available for purchase by schools.

Burrabinya – Leap to your Future continues to be very successful, funded by the Dept. of Prime

Minister and Cabinet under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy in Tumut, Junee and Wagga Wagga.

The Board’s investment in a Business Development project has informed our business direction for

2017 and beyond. Mary Hoodless from Karoo Consultancy worked across the Riverina Murray,

gathering intelligence from education providers and the business sector to better understand the

training and service needs of each regional community.

In July 2016, Board members (Crispin, Chris, Michelle and Megan) attended the Better Boards

conference at the Exhibition centre in Melbourne. The focus of the conference was around innovation,

with many organisations facing significant change, particularly with the impact of the NDIS. Board

members returned, inspired for looking at business in a different way and looking for alternative

opportunities for COMPACT to become a more sustainable organisation. I would like the Board to

continue with the concept of innovation and look forward to scoping for new opportunities for

COMPACT.

I would like to make special mention and thank Jane Barnes for her dedication to COMPACT and her

tireless support as Secretary/ Treasurer. Jane has navigated COMPACT through an extremely difficult

time for finances amid amalgamation, changes in funding, staffing, business modelling, regional

expansion, training investment. She has been an amazing support to me, and is always a smiling

cheerful face, phone call or email at any time 24/7.

Since the last Annual General meeting, we farewelled Board members Crispin Lowe, Michelle Swan

and Ben Foley. Crispin has been an amazing support to me personally as Executive Officer during 13

years at COMPACT, six of those as Chairperson. During this time, we worked closely together and

made an excellent team, overcoming the many challenges facing a small not for profit organisation,

to ensure our ongoing success. Crispin was a strong leader with broad strategic vision, business and

financial sense, energy and tenacity and was instrumental in building COMPACT into the strong

regional organisation it has become today.

In 2017, Ben Foley and Michelle Swan resigned from the Board of Management. Ben has been a

colleague for many years through the NSW Business Chamber and we have long shared a vision of the

concept of providing external industry career advice for communities. Ben and Crispin worked closely

together to initiate and ensure the success of the amalgamation of COMPACT and MICEEP. I would

like thank Ben for his continual vision, support and advice during his time with COMPACT and wish

him well in his new role.

Michelle Swan began 13 years ago as a representative of the Catholic Schools sector. Michelle

provided expert advice in the VET sector and provided a great deal of wisdom, experience and ideas

to COMPACT. Michelle spent much of her time at COMPACT as an Executive member, as Deputy

Chairperson. Thanks to each of you for your dedication and support, you will always be a valued,

important part of the COMPACT family.

In 2017, we have undertaken a new organisation business model to better provide quality services to

schools, industry and young people across the Riverina Murray region. I look forward to seeing the

results of this significant change and to know COMPACT has become well known across our new

service area.


We welcome all of our new staff and Board members to the COMPACT Incorporated team and look

forward to seeing the benefits of bringing our collective skills, enthusiasm and expertise together to

create education, employment and learning opportunities for the people of the Riverina Murray

region.

In closing I would like to thank the Board for their ongoing support and guidance provided throughout

the year. I look forward to another very busy, successful and exciting year ahead to achieve our

COMPACT vision.

Megan Mulrooney

Executive Officer

May 2017


Work Placement Service Provider Program Report

Funded by: NSW Department of Education

In 2016, wet weather across Region H and I (Part B), has been a major barrier to the completion of

work placement for students enrolled in Primary Industries, Construction, Metals & Engineering and

Electrotechnology. Significant ongoing rainfall and flooding across Region H and I (Part B) impeded the

ability of employers to host students. The bad weather impacted considerably on local employers in

these industries, delaying work schedules, resulting in businesses enforcing leave on staff, which

flowed on to their inability to host students for work placement. Delays affected school timetables for

workplacement and our coordinators worked closely with schools and employers to renegotiate

available times for placements with employers, schools and teachers.

Sourcing appropriate Information Technology placements across our region continued to be

challenging. Due to a critical employer shortage, COMPACT worked closely with TAFE NSW to deliver

the highly successful TAFE IT Experience program with further support from Catholic Schools Office.

This effective, contemporary workplacement program enabled 20 students to complete their work

placement on site at TAFE, with local industry professionals leading the program. One employer is so

committed to the program, that he takes a week of annual leave to support the students.

In 2016, almost 3500 students were provided workplacement opportunities across a total number

1477 host employers. Employers are to be commended on their ongoing support of young people

allowing them to complete their VET workplacement requirements as part of their HSC. Of the 1477

employers, our Workplacement Coordinators inducted 181 new employers to the program.

VET Industry Framework courses include Automotive, Business Services, Construction,

Electrotechnology, Entertainment, Hospitality, Human Services, Information Technology, Metal and

Engineering, Primary Industries, Retail and Tourism and Events

COMPACT Workplacement Coordinators arranged VET Advisory group meetings to be held in each

Principal Network area in Term 4. The regional VET Advisory meetings were held in Wagga Wagga,

Albury, Deniliquin, Young, Leeton, Griffith and Tumut. These meetings were attended by key

stakeholders in VET including

Principals, VET Coordinators,

Business representatives, TAFE

NSW and State Training Services

to enable a broad regional

discussion about VET and to

collaboratively overcome any

regional issues. The VET Advisory

group meetings are an excellent

way to build understanding

between Industry and Education

sectors and to increase the

profile of vocational education.


Burrabinya – Leap to Your Future Funded by: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet – Indigenous Advancement Strategy, Children

and Schooling Program

In 2016 we worked with Junee High School, Tumut

High School and Mount Austin High School - Girls at

the Centre group, targeting Indigenous girls from

Years 9 to 12.

Burrabinya builds employability skills guiding the

students through self-awareness and exploration

of their personal passions and goals, to reach their

full potential in further education or employment.

A major component of the Burrabinya program is to create stronger connections to their local

cultural leaders and positive role models within the community to extend their personal

networks.

The Burrabinya program highlights to students a variety of further education opportunities

and allow students to explore career options through access to guest speakers and industry

site visits.

Local Aboriginal Elders are an integral part of the program providing invaluable connection to

culture, talking about their personal journeys, overcoming life challenges and reinforcing the

importance of learning and education whilst improving intergenerational understanding.


CREW – Confident, Ready and Engaged for Work Funded by: NSW Department of Education – Links to Learning 2014 - 2016

CREW – Confident, Ready and Engaged for Work, was

delivered across two geographic areas. The City

program was delivered to Albury High School, James

Fallon High School and Murray High School, with the

Country program delivered to Billabong High School

in Culcairn and Corowa High School.

The school to work program is aimed at students in Years 9 and 10 and has a work readiness focus,

including confidence building, improving self-esteem and developing a positive attitude to work. The

program assisted students to consider life after school and developed career aspiration options

through work, TAFE and apprenticeships.

CREW assisted students to recognise their valuable and transferable skills that will assist in all types

of work, regardless of practical experience.

A key outcome of this program was to assist students with their self-confidence and self-belief that

they can reach their full potential in work or education and further training. Major highlights of the

program were highlighted with student who obtained employment, increased their attendance,

engagement at school and involvement in their broader community.

With the current Links to Learning funding model funding changing focus in 2016, the CREW model

will now be offered as a COMPACT Inc. delivered program to schools and training providers across the

Riverina Murray. Details can be found on our website or contact the COMPACT Inc. Wagga Wagga

Office for further details.


Youth Frontiers – Mentoring Program Funded by: NSW Family and Community Services

Youth Frontiers is an initiative of the NSW Government that targets students in Years 8 and 9 with the

capacity to benefit from the support of a mentor. The program gave mentees an opportunity to build

life skills and self-confidence by working with their mentor to undertake a project that makes a

positive difference in their community.

COMPACT has been contracted to deliver the Youth Frontiers Program to 10 young people across in

Murray High School. Identified projects included youth mental health and waste reduction.


Community Engagement

Our Executive Officer has been invited to be a member of the Headspace Consortium.

Albury Wodonga Youth Collective

The Albury Wodonga Youth Collective is a strategic group of cross-sector key stakeholders in Albury /

Wodonga with the key objective of reducing Youth Unemployment.

The Youth Collective aims to do this by providing a more cohesive support network for young people

– making more effective use of local resources, reducing duplication of support services, enhancing

youth programs, identifying gaps in services and critical needs, advocating educational and

employment cross-border issues affecting youth unemployment and career pathways to local, state

and federal government.

Youth Mental Health Forum

The aim of the YMHF is to engage students in a practical, interactive and positive way to

decrease stigma, to increase mental health literacy and to promote help seeking behaviours.

The YMHF essentially gives young people a voice and acts as an engagement medium for

services and schools to hear firsthand about student issues and concerns relating to Mental

Health.

The YMHF aims to build capacity within the school environment to effectively bring change

to school culture regarding mental health and wellbeing. During the Forum, students are

tasked with identifying and developing mental health promotional activities and creation of

an action plan to implement in their school, which will generate conversation among their

peer networks about the topic of mental health.

The YMHF embraces a whole of community approach to systemically address the mental

health and wellbeing issues being faced by our young people

COMPACT developed the initial Youth Mental Health Partnership in Central Murrumbidgee

and the Executive Officer has continued on as a committee member providing advisory and

administrative support.


Business Development Report

Stage One involved research, consultation and the development of evidenced informed programs and

resources. Over 2000 business/industries were contacted, 168 education providers, Australian and

New South Wales Government departments and several community service organisations.

Overall, the findings supported the general dialogue around the lack of employability skills and

difficulties recruiting and retaining young people. Employers have an expectation that young people

will have basic communication, ICT and work ethic appropriate to the position. Successful outcomes

have resulted from commitment and investment in training and supporting young people transitioning

to work. Where these resources are not available, employers either do not have the time or resources

to take this approach.

Opportunities for COMPACT in this space are limited, it appears that on the whole, employers wish to

take responsibility for developing new employees’ employment skills or opting for older more mature

employees.

Further research about contemporary approaches to supporting young people’s transition from the

workplace, was also undertaken. In addition, staff provided vital information on gaps between

education and employment and also gave feedback and ideas to inform the business model for 2017.

It does appear there is interest in fee for service programs, however cost appears to be an issue and

barrier to purchasing these programs. The cost schools are prepared to pay ($5-$10) per student is

not sustainable.

Although the early outcomes are small with two fee for service contracts in Term 4 and a commitment

for one program for 2017, there was evidence of interest, mostly from the education sector for a

number of programs in 2017. At this point, industry and business have not expressed interest in

investing in COMPACT for their employment and training needs.

Stage Two involved two key strategies, firstly, confirming programs and services for 2017 and

secondly, securing Service Agreements with interested parties. A brief review of pre-employment e-

resources was also undertaken and final report presented to the COMPACT Inc. Board of

Management.

annual general meeting report 2016 - compact...

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