The Victorian Government has reintroduced the indoor mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

The need to be fast, agile and ahead of the curve on all levels of customer service is no longer a ‘nice idea,’ it’s a business imperative. This tipping point has created an abundance of work for IT teams in Australia and around the globe, and a backlog of work that needs to be delivered now, not next year. If you, like so many companies, didn’t jump early into this digital race, how do you catch up? While I’m here to advise Australian organisations (small, medium or large) on how to do this, you must first understand that the crisis isn’t over.  

The Victorian Chamber – in partnership with the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions – is proud to announce ten deserving finalists in the Victorian COVIDSafe Business Awards.

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

10 finalists across three categories have been announced as part of the Victorian COVIDSafe Business Awards, created to recognise industry leaders who have been exemplars in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have demonstrated innovative and commendable safety and compliance strategies and measures.

The Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme is ending on 15 January 2022. Although eligible tenants will no longer be entitled to rent relief after this date, tenants and landlords will still have access to support via the Victorian Small Business Commission.

Melbourne is leading the charge for Australia in the medtech, biotech and pharmaceutical industries with the recent announcements of the Monash University Smart Manufacturing Hub to deliver Australia’s first mRNA vaccine for clinical trials, the new Australian Institute of Infectious Disease in the Parkville Biomedical precinct, and the latest partnership with Moderna to manufacture its mRNA vaccine in Melbourne.

Industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain, auDA, has released its inaugural Digital Lives of Australians 2021 Report. The report finds Australian consumers and small businesses benefit immensely from the Internet, but cybersecurity threats continue to pose a huge concern.

Customers and staff will still be required to wear face masks in many indoor settings while some vaccination mandates will ease under new COVID-19 regulations that the Victorian Government announced today.

As Victoria emerges from COVID-19, the State Government has bolstered the confidence of organisers of creative, sporting, business and community events to plan and stage events with an interruption insurance scheme and restart package.

Over the next three years, the Victorian Government’s $64 million Digital Jobs program aims to produce up to 5,000 job-ready candidates with up-to-date digital skills that will help Victorian businesses thrive.

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.

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.

While there has been a growing focus to better understand mental health and improve outcomes in recent years, COVID-19 accelerated that shift as the pandemic took a significant toll on society’s physical and psychological health. Moving Mindz has crucial task of studying the broader implications of mental health trends to help clients improve workplace practices and cultures.

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.

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.