How good was it seeing our state roar back to life over the weekend? It was so exciting to see crowds at events and smiles on the faces of so many as they celebrated Victoria’s reopening over the past few days.

As Victoria emerges from COVID-19 and business confidence returns, there has never been a better time to take on an apprentice or trainee - a crucial pathway to kickstart our economy post-pandemic and secure talent for Victoria’s future workforce.

One cyber security incident is reported every eight minutes, according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), underscoring the urgency for businesses to protect themselves online.

Grab your family, grab your friends, and grab your workmates - it’s time to celebrate and enjoy our state again! The Victorian Chamber was delighted by today’s State Government announcement that it will lift the majority of restrictions across the state which will give all our businesses the best chance to roar back.

Hindsight is a funny thing. Had we known the COVID-19 wrecking ball was coming for us, we would have ducked for cover. We can’t use that excuse anymore.

Research by Victorian Chamber members Swinburne University of Technology and Readiness, concludes business leaders need to ‘lift their game’ when it comes to psychological wellbeing in the workplace.

Just when we thought it was smooth sailing, we’ve hit a slight bump with the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. I know many of you may be experiencing familiar feelings of anxiousness this week with the news of Omicron emerging across the world and here in Australia.

Thousands of businesses providing educational experiences for Victorian schoolchildren will be given a boost under the Victorian Government’s $112.9 million Positive Start in 2022 initiative. The funding, announced by Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Education James Merlino, aims to get children back enjoying the experiences they missed out on during Victoria’s lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

For 23 years, the Australian Government has contracted the Victorian Chamber to deliver a suite of services and support through the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) at no cost to employers and individuals across Victoria.

Well, we made it through, and Christmas is now on our doorstep.

Welcome to our first edition of Victorian Chamber News for 2022. We know that staff shortages, supply chain issues, isolation requirements, density limits and lack of accessibility to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) continue to cause difficulty and stress and the Victorian Chamber team is working hard to ensure your voices are heard and practical solutions can be found.

In partnership with Crown Melbourne, the Victorian Chamber is running free online seminars designed to help regional businesses bounce back after consecutive lockdowns and sparse tourism.

If you were lucky enough to get in a break over the school holidays, you would have noticed the crippling effect that Covid-19 is having on our small businesses across the state.

It’s the report that you helped us create, and one that might well sharpen the focus on what Victoria needs to do to be the best state to operate a business in. I’m very proud of to release the Cost and Ease of Doing Business in Victoria Taskforce Report.

Great news this week with several positive developments to set us on a cracking pace for our state’s COVID-19 recovery.

Amid the recent return-to-office announcement, there is no better time to foster a resilient workplace through the Victorian Chamber’s extensive catalogue of training courses, that are now returning to an in-person format.