It has been estimated that in the next four years, over six million digital workers will be required across Australia to keep up with the rapid technological evolution.

It was only last week that we were reminded of the beginning of a 112-day lockdown here in Victoria last year and we desperately hope we don’t find ourselves in a similar situation again.

The VCCI is excited to announce our latest service for our members: Grant Finder. Find every government grant and support available to help you build, grow, and expand your business.

Since 2018, the Victorian Chamber’s Mental Health Essentials program has assisted over 180 businesses who employ young workers to build and maintain mentally healthy workplaces.

Lockdown Four, and the COVID-19 situations around the country in Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australia, have shown us that the pandemic is far from over.  

The business community in Regional Victoria will be relieved today to hear the news of a further easing of restrictions. There is also good news that essentially every business in the state can now operate. But for some larger metropolitan events, hospitality and entertainment venues, the easing of restrictions have not gone far enough, and we still have a difference in settings between Regional and Metropolitan areas.

The Federal Government has announced assistance for Victorian workers impacted by Lockdown Four with a disaster payment for those who have missed a week of work or more.

I know this is a tough time for many of you who will feel shattered by the extension of the fourth lockdown Victoria has endured since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

It is the Victorian Chamber’s goal to make Victoria the best place in Australia to live, work, learn, and operate a business. Our message is simple - business is not only the engine room of the economy, they’re also the heart of our communities.

The countdown is on to our Victoria Summit Vision Day! Today we officially launched our first major Summit event coming up on 28 May where attendees will come together to map out a bold new vision for Victoria.

On behalf of our members, the Victorian Chamber has made a submission to the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism and events sector.

It was encouraging to see the Federal Government revive the National Cabinet this week to address the issues with the vaccine rollout, bringing the states and territories together to find the best path forward.

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra met with three stars of the AFLW on Grand Final Eve to discuss what it takes to be the best in such a competitive environment.

I hope your Easter Break was a good one. I know many of you are nervous around the recommencement of hotel quarantine on Thursday. Put simply, it is essential this time around the State Government gets the hotel quarantine system right.

Victoria University’s newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor and President discusses what the education institution is doing differently to be hailed Australia’s top ranked university for employability skills.

An interim report has made several business-friendly recommendations which aim to expand the Skilled Migration Program and improve flexibility for employers to take advantage.