About Us

Service Skills Victoria Capability Statement

Overview

SSV is a bipartite, not for profit company, whose primary role is the provision of advice to government agencies, industry and the learning community on skills, education and training for the following industries:

• tourism, hospitality and events;
• wholesale, retail, and personal services; and
• food processing (under contract to the Victorian Food Industry Training Board)

The organisation operates in the context of national vocational education sector, with significant interaction with industry, government, registered training providers, secondary schools, universities, and small business.

SSV manages the secretariat of the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria (TABV) and operates the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) on behalf of the TABV. This program is a national industry based accreditation program which sets and audits standards across 14 areas of business planning, operation and management.

SSV formed as an industry training board in 2003 from the amalgamation of Tourism Training Victoria and the Victorian Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services Industry Training Board, drawing on 20 years of industry training experience.

Capabilities

The SSV team is able to provide the skills, knowledge and expertise with specialist backgrounds and substantial experience in industry, education and training and government. The networks we have developed over the years mean that we can call on the skills and knowledge of a range of experts from industry, education and training and government, locally and interstate. We are a team of highly qualified and skilled researchers, educators and project workers and operate as a continuously learning organisation.

Industry training advocacy

• Providing strategic advice to government on vocational education and training matters, training policy, research requirements and priorities for funding allocation within industries within our coverage
• Acting as a principal source of information and advice to industry, RTOs and community on matters related to vocational education and training based on established communication with industry skills councils, government statutory bodies and other relevant associations and organisations.

Research

• Undertaking labour market research, occupational analysis and forecasting as presented with our reporting to Skills Victoria
• Collecting, evaluating and disseminating data and information on the education and training needs of the participating industries and various sectors

Learning and development

• Facilitating customised professional development/training programs to address the specific needs of client groups

Program/competency standards development

• Offering specialist advice as a Victorian RQA Approved Accreditation Adviser on course accreditation by assisting in the preparation of accreditation submissions or participating in accreditation panels for courses
• Undertaking course development across all industry sectors for VRQA accreditation.
• Undertaking training needs analysis to address the specific needs of client groups
• Contributing to the identification, development and review of national competency standards of industries under our coverage
• Mapping of existing training programs against national competency standards and training packages to ensure that in house training can lead to a nationally recognised qualification

Business accreditation

• Acting as the Secretariat for the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria Incorporated in the management and implementation of a quality assurance framework for tourism businesses
• Providing advice and assistance on business planning.

Our Experience

Service Skills Victoria has wide ranging experience in consulting and managing projects for many government and private organisations. The following highlights some of our recent and key experiences which are indicative of our capabilities:

• Provision of research services and reports including:
  • Service Industries Change Drivers reports - reports for the Victorian Government using extensive industry consultation and research.
  • Pre-apprenticeship Pathways Project - research conducted for the former Office of Training and Tertiary Education (currently known as Skills Victoria) identifying effective pathway programs for the hospitality and hairdressing industries.

• Active committee membership of industry and government advisory bodies/authorities
  • The Victorian Tourism Excellence Initiative (since 2004 and had particular input into Module 2: People Excellence, which was released in March 2007)
  • Young Tourism Network
  • Bakers Delight Steering Committee (chair) for the development and accreditation of the Certificate IV in Small Business Franchising (Bakers Delight)

• Project management of programs and projects
  • Reframing the Future projects - A range of projects involving industry and RTO networks specialising in community of practice and industry training networks.
  • Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Leaders (DTL) Awards - an innovative employment development exercise for final year students to develop innovative small business/event concepts and business/event plans for tourism products.
  • Beyond 2020 Service Skills Forum - held biannually to bring together key industry personnel to identify the major change drivers that will shape Victoria's service industries over next 10 years and beyond.
  • Auditor Approval Process - the development of a model for the Department of Human Services - Victoria for approval and licensing processes for applicants seeking formal recognition as Cleaning Standards auditors.

• Provision of development and accreditation of state accredited courses
  • Course in Cleaning Standards Auditing - developed for the Department of Human Services Victoria as part of the its process of recruiting and registering cleaning standards auditors
  • Provision of consultancy as a VRQA Approved Accreditation Adviser for the state accreditation of the following courses:
  • Diploma of Applied Learning (Crown copyright developed by VRQA)
  • Course in Taxi Driving/Course in Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Services (Crown copyright developed by Victoria University)
  • Course in Entertainment Operations (private copyright developed by William Angliss Institute of TAFE)
  • Diploma of Resort Management (private copyright developed by William Angliss Institute of TAFE)
  • Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Technology(Aviation) (Swinburne University)
  • Certificate III in Dental Equipment Maintenance
  • Certificate IV in Arts in Health & Well-being (Chisholm Institute of TAFE)
  • Course in Emergency Asthma (Asthma Foundation)
  • Advanced Diploma of Yoga Teaching (CAE)
  • Certificate IV in Small Business Franchising (Bakers Delight)
  • Vocational Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Intervention (Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement)
  • Diploma of Screenwriting (RMIT)

Team members

Ian Nicolson ACIS (Chief Executive Officer)

• Experience in leading a number of organisations including industry training boards and industry associations
• Director/member of a number of advisory boards
• Experience in industry development research and labour market analysis
• Extensive experience in business planning and development, corporate governance, leadership and management
• Qualifications include BA (Monash), Economics, Politics and Sociology; Graduate Diploma of Education (Ballarat), Graduate Diploma of Computing (Deakin), Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance (Chartered Secretaries Australia)

Melissa Ong

• Extensive experience in marketing and event management
• Experience in creative design and development for marketing campaigns
• Experience in administration and office management
• Knowledge and experience in retail operations, including floor sales, retail buying, logistics management and visual merchandising
• Qualifications including a Bachelor of Business (Retail Management), Bachelor of Business (Marketing), both at Monash University and Certification II in Retail Operations with Nike Australia

Erin McLeod (Accreditation Officer - ATAP)

• Qualifications include a Bachelor of Business with a major in Tourism Enterprise Management, Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Extensive experience in tourism marketing to both domestic and international consumer markets. Particular experience with the South East Asian international market
• Coordinated a range of trade marketing initiatives to both domestic and international trade partners
• Experience in providing assistance, knowledge and support to tourism operators for a range of business matters
• Over seven years experience of working within the tourism and hospitality industries
• Experienced in staff and office management and business administration
• Coordinated a range of professional development workshops/seminars/conferences for tourism operators

Linda Baron (Program Manager - VFITB)

• Experience in running a not for profit member association for 650 school career advisers and allied professionals
• Experience in working with state and federal government departments, industry and school to work transition sector including VET in schools
• Qualifications in Media Studies and Education (secondary teaching) and Graduate Diploma in Career Education
• Extensive experience in publications and publicity including editing a quarterly journal, and website publication
• Designed and conducted 17 conferences in the education and school to work/tertiary study sector including sponsorship management
• Experience in office management, staff management, financial planning and project management in the not for profit sector

SSV Projects

• The Right Way Program
• Retail Excellence in Victoria