Many of you will be pleased (perhaps relieved!) that students return to school this week, with mask-wearing, minimal isolation requirements and the provision of free RATs to monitor any positive cases in educational communities.

The Victorian Chamber is continuing to work with government on improving the accessibility and availability of RATs for business. With the cost of government-funded PCR tests sitting at around $85 compared with between $3.50 to $4.50 for a RAT, it makes sound financial and practical sense to make the transition. We know with greater supply of RATs there will be increased certainty in the economy. Importantly, it will also ease the pressure on PCR tests and allow them to be used for those who need them most.

In response to the current challenges in the hospitality industry, Crown Melbourne has partnered with the Victorian Chamber and AHA to provide free training at Crown College for 1,000 potential hospitality workers by July this year, to help address the skills shortage in the industry and support its COVID-19 recovery. Business has a strong track record of proactively working to solve issues in their industries and the Beverage Skills Pathways Program is a great example of that. Thanks to the Herald Sun and Channel 9 for covering the story last week.

We speak to members every day in the hospitality sector that are struggling and there has already been significant interest in this program. Head to jobsinhospo.com.au to find out more.

We are also pleased to have the support of Crown Melbourne for our upcoming online series to help regional businesses to recover from the pandemic. The two free one-hour sessions will include practical information for farmers, suppliers and producers on how to respond to tenders and understand the decision-making criteria for large hospitality vendors.

Being a double election year and a crucial one for policy-shaping, the Chamber will also brief participants on our Federal and State Budget submissions and our visitor economy policy platform. To find out more information and to register free, please visit the ‘upcoming events’ section of our website.

Speaking of upcoming events, I hope to see you all at our first Business After Dark event for 2022 at the iconic Marvel Stadium on 15 February from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. This is our premier networking event that provides the opportunity to connect with a diverse range of business professionals, from senior and middle management to young professionals and entrepreneurs. You can register your attendance here.

I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable Australia Day tomorrow - and to those having an extended break, have fun and please try to support your Victorian businesses in any way you can.

To all the parents out there, I hope you and your children enjoy the final week of the school holidays and best wishes for their return to the classroom.