A Workforce Development Network is a group of workers from target group services in a particular region who work together with an IWDS Workforce Consultant to plan workforce development activities for target group organisations in their region. They do this by consulting with target group services at Needs Analysis forums and collecting needs informally throughout the year; liaising with peak organisations, services and workers.
Contact the Workforce Consultant in your region for an application form. Applications are assessed according to the needs in that region. Not all applications will be accepted because WDNs need to have an equitable split of representatives from funding programs and locations. For example, if your position is funded by SAAP and you apply to be a member of a network which already has a SAAP funded member your application may not be accepted.
Each WDN has a limited budget and activities are prioritised according to need. If you suggested an activity which is not going ahead it is likely that there were not enough other organisations requesting this activity. Organisational subsidies are provided to assist workers in attending activities which are not available through IWDS. Contact the IWDS Workforce Consultant in your region for further information.
When course applications close, if there are too many applications from a particular service, IWDS will accept a limited number of workers. All others will receive a rejection letter. However, it is the services choice as to which worker attends and this is clearly stated on the rejection letter. It is fine to swap and we encourage services to choose staff members who are able to share information and learning with other staff members. If you do decide to swap please let IWDS know. Unfortunately IWDS administration workers do not have time to liaise with services prior to sending confirmation letters in order to choose who to accept.
Unfortunately in most cases the answer is no. The WDNs have a limited budget and can not meet the needs of every individual worker. It is up to services to make appropriate choices to ensure that the worker who attends a course is able to share information and learning with other workers. Of course, if there was huge interest in a particular activity and the WDN had the budget to run the workshop again they may be able to do so.
If a large organisation registers six people to attend an activity and they are from services funded by three different funding programs this will be considered as three different services and more than two will be accepted if possible. This is why it is very important to correctly indicate on application forms the funding program of each worker as IWDS limits numbers per service funded program.
Applications from funded workers from different regions will be accepted if places are available and they will have priority over non-target workers from that region. Target group workers from within a particular region have first priority because they fall within the target group for that region. If you see an activity promoted that you would like to see run in your region let the Workforce Consultant for your region know so that it can be considered and prioritised by the WDN.
The WDNs try to choose varying locations to suit all services. In large geographical areas such as Central QLD, the WDN try to spread activities over the region so that it's not the same people always having to travel. In Brisbane, activities are spread between the Southside, Northside and Central area and on the Sunshine Coast they vary between Noosa, Caloundra and anywhere in between.
To be fair to all workers no applications are accepted until the closing date for registrations, which is usually three weeks before the activity. On the closing date IWDS will fairly assess all applications and prioritise applications according to target group/region/funding program criteria. Once this has been completed you will be posted a confirmation letter which is also a tax invoice. If too many applications have been received and you are not accepted you will be sent a rejection letter.
Target group services are those services funded recurrently by the Department of Communities as of March 2009 (not including child care, disability services or aged care). IWDS maintains a list of these services and you are welcome to contact IWDS to check eligibility.
IWDS is funded to provide low cost activities for target group services. IWDS cannot fund places in activities for non-target workers. IWDS is very happy for non-target workers to attend activities when places are available, however it must be at a cost which will cover the actual place in the activity. Fees for non-target group places are still considerably lower than private fees for training, forums etcetera.
Once you receive your confirmation letter/tax invoice you may send in a cheque, money order or credit card details. Please ensure that you attach the payment slip from your confirmation letter. Please don't pay for a workshop prior to getting your confirmation letter in case you are not accepted. No payments are accepted at training events and credit card payments are not accepted by phone or fax.
Please contact the Workforce Consultant for your region to make this request. Some regions always receive too many applications and therefore do not place non-target group people on the mailing list. Other regions may be willing to do so as long as you understand that your application will only be accepted if there are places left after target group applications.
