Annual Report ⋆ Challenge Employment and Training

Introduction

Kerry Philipps
Chairperson

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT

Our approach with students and trainees has seen many starting work for the very first time and for others, we are assisting them back into employment in their chosen fields.

Our suit of programs offer contemporary solutions in employment areas that have a high demand for staff, our employer and industry feedback received, is that the preparatory skills offerings at Challenge are working as designed.

We continue to face multiple challenges presented at the whim of Governments’ and regulatory policy of the day, but we continue to provide a service that offers hope and financial independence for those wishing to improve their individual circumstances through skills acquisition and reach their own true potential.

Our continued advocacy for our students and trainees put them in the drivers seat of their own personal transformation and we will always endeavor to continue this work as best we can into the future. This annual report is a snapshot of some of the journey we have been on over the preceding year, and I would like to thank our Board and Staff for their continuing efforts.

Richard Lindner
CEO

CEO’S REPORT

Another of year of Advocacy and Support by the Group has seen us offering jobs and skills to those most marginalised in our community.

I would like to thank the Board for their guidance throughout the year and thank our staff, who without you, we would not have the privilege of assisting those that access our services.

We have a seen a significant increase in young people and students presenting with disabilities accessing our services this year and this nuance, whilst presenting some challenges with resourcing, comes with great rewards for our students as they transition to employment.

Our school in its second year of operation has seen the inclusion of year 12 in 2024 with an increase in students entering for year 11, and those will transition to their final year in 2025.

To our Industry partners who provide the essential work experience for our students, thank you, your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Our Training team is continuing to support our endeavors through assisting people into employment through skills development, servicing both our employed Trainees and our vocational students across the greater Southeast.

We continually strive to meet our excellence in performance values through adherence to the rigorous training compliance regrime set by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and we will always do our very best for our students.

The group met several new milestones though out the year, one of significance was our completion of our NDA housing project. Gaining all the necessary accreditation for platinum level accommodation. As the builder of this property we have gained some key insights that will assist us with further building projects for disability accommodation in the future.

I am pleased to say that I am proud that we have built up our operational capacity to simultaneously run four construction Traineeship projects concurrently with three Environmental restoration projects. this is no small achievement by the team, and I congratulate you for achieving this milestone. This in essence means we employed 105 Trainees concurrently, who previously were outside the labour market. Offering some their very first job and to the supervisors who make this happen, Good Job, Good job all!

Our Social Impacts

A lot of the cohort we provide these services to have never experienced outcomes quite like Challenge.

Whether it be at our RTO or our trade school, we approach their issues with holistic wrap around support. We see the whole student and take the time to learn what they need in order to successfully enter the workforce.

We’ve been at it a long time providing 25, 000+ employment pathways since 2012!