The Victorian
Prospect December 2020
What’s inside: The Victorian Prospect A message from Dianne Smith Page 3 Road to Recovery Pages 4-6 End of year reflection from the Local Jobs First Commissioner Page 7 Meet the Board Pages 8-9 Family-owned Austeng leading the way with innovative thinking Pages 10-11
Barwon & Great South Coast Social Procurement Showcase Pages 12-13 Practical Applications of the Social Procurement Framework Pages 14-15 Unearthing the next generation of our workforce with Head Start Pages 16-17
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
from the team at 2 / I CN V ICTO R IA
A message from
Dianne Smith
It has certainly been an unusual time to start a new role in this COVID-19 year which we are keen to put behind us. Six weeks in and I have met with the whole ICN Victoria team, however very few of these meetings have been ‘face to face’. Located across the state, this is a fascinating and well credential team, who have deep industry and policy experience. Everyone has done remarkably well to stay on top of, and to have grown the business while working from home. They have also used the time well to invest in a range of system and process improvements.
Intense virtual engagement appears to have forced us to be more aware of how people are really coping daily. Meeting our stakeholders for the first time from their personal spaces at home was also unique. I have appreciated the engagement of ICN’s diverse Board (whom you can ‘meet’ in this edition of the Victorian Prospect on pages 8-9) as we chart how ICN will play a critical role in Victoria’s pandemic recovery. A special acknowledgement to ex officio member, Nanette Fitzgerald, who has worked hard and assisted ICN immensely, along with her team at the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions (DJPR). In addition to the Board members, I have met with DJPR and other Government partners, the Local Jobs First Commissioner Don Matthews (who finishes in this role at the end of the month), our interstate colleagues through the ICNL national office, industry bodies, Australian Steel Institute, and the Rail Industry Development Advisory Committee Supply Chain Strengthening committee. I want more people to know about the industry case studies which demonstrate the service and value our team provides to Industry and Government. Our virtual Regional Showcases and this digital magazine capture these well, so please take in this whole edition. I am really looking forward to getting out and about in regions and on-site from mid-January onwards to see these case studies in real life. The Victorian Government Budget indicates a ramping up of strategic projects and we know ICN will be busy; I foresee opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency in which we can add value through Government Procurement projects. I agree that Victoria being focussed on what we ‘make at home’ is part of our ‘economic way forward’. In 2021, ICN Victoria will support this vision, and be focussed on where we have greatest impact to help grow jobs and local capability consequently. We aim to be a shining light for our clients, hence why I am optimistic about a bright future ahead. Regards
Dianne Smith Chief Executive Officer
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Road to Recovery ‘2021’ what it means for us and what it could mean for you
inspire industry and our partners to get involved with procurement and industry networks. There is a great opportunity to dig deeper into our local industry knowledge. A greater understanding of manufacturing, and value add capability and capacity can inform policy requirements. We can provide insight on the proportion of contracts that can be delivered when local industry is fully engaged on these procurements. As we approach the New Year, that metaphorical line in the sand has never felt more poignant. The 2020 zeitgeist will be unforgettable for a long time to come but in this last edition of the Victorian Prospect for this extraordinary year we’d like to focus on the positives... Namely, how we can help you get involved in the next Big Build! ICN Victoria has a critical role in our economic recovery and the recently released Victorian Government Budget reinforces our mandate of administering, maximising and encouraging local industry engagement and good job creation. With funds committed to industry, innovation, skills and training, and gender and social equality, we are uniquely placed as a trusted partner of the Victorian
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Government working across all types of procurement, administering the Local Jobs First Policy and through our Social Procurement Program. Industry engagement is central to who ICN is. We have always focussed on supporting industry, in particular SMEs and that role is more crucial than ever with economic recovery initiatives and goals high on the agenda. We want to know which businesses are out there in the marketplace, who does what in terms of locally manufactured goods and local service providers and we will endeavour to match them up with those opportunities. We have a very passionate team with deep and diverse expertise. We understand that as a trusted partner of the Victorian Government we will be relied upon to continue to enable and
So, what does this mean for you? We are more than ready and equipped to be there to support and encourage your efforts getting engaged on Government procurements. There are many projects and procurement options with some detailed below and all Gateway pages have Industry Adviser contact details. If there is one message that we’d like to end this year on it’s that we are here for you! To talk about our collective optimism for 2021 and the role that ICN will play in the economic reocvery, our Chief Executive Officer, Dianne Smith, Policy Implementation Manager Tariro Makwasha), Industry Engagement Manager, Andrew Bradley joined Communications & Marketing Manager, Kate West for a Fireside Zoom Chat. Click above to check it out!
End-of-Year Online Networking
Projects on ICN Gateway
Statewide
Barwon & Great South Coast
We’d like to let you in on a secret… we really love to network and missed it during 2020 so we decided to end the year with a virtual networking session that brought together like-minded individuals from around Victoria to share their insights on 2021 and make new connections.
Barwon Great South Coast
Public Housing Renewal Program Stage 1
Interconnections and interdependencies are important – especially who has knowledge and who can help you grow your business!
Beach Energy – Otway Offshore Project
With five networking groups dedicated to different areas of regional Victoria and one-onone options available the 50 registered attendees and ICN team members made up for lost time! Click on the link below to hear Dianne’s welcome message.
Chisholm Road Prison Project Cherry Creek Youth Justice Project Geelong Arts Centre Stage 3 Barwon Prison Infill Expansion City of Greater Geelong Civic Accommodation Precinct
New Footscray Hospital New Schools 2022 program Wantirna Aged Care Redevelopment
Project Pipeline Announced in the Victorian State Budget Suburban Rail Loop
Bendigo
Geelong Fast Rail
Bendigo GovHub
Shepparton Rail Line Upgrade (Stage 3)
Bendigo Law Courts
Gippsland Gippsland Project Opportunities The Kalbar Mineral Sands Project The Star of the South Offshore Wind Energy Project The new Wonthaggi Hospital
Warrnambool Rail Line Upgrade (Stage 2) State Basketball Centre Project Latrobe Regional Hospital Redevelopment (Stage 3A) Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation
Shepparton Shepparton Corridor Upgrade Greater Shepparton College Refurbishment of Shepparton Hospital
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Your ICN Gateway profile works like a company resume, you should aim to highlight your value and what your company can bring to the table. Some tips and tricks from our Client Services Team: Summary • Should be a brief overview of the company and overarching capabilities • This section should give project owners/ICN an introduction to the company Full Description • Further comprehensive explanation of the companies specific capabilities • Social Procurement initiatives or plans • Unique value proposition (UVP), I explain this to the supplier as anything which they think makes their company stand out against their competitors. This can be anything from being in the industry for an extended period of time, specialised or innovative technology/products/ services, etc. • Include whether their products are locally manufactured • Reference one major project, this shows the companies capability to deliver • Ensure to use key words, this will ensure the profile will be found by ICN consultants when doing internal searches and buyers, if the company is on a subscription. Notifications • Critical component of a comprehensive profile, this will ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities • Better to over select than under select Support We have a range of user guides to help you showcase your company profile to give you the best chance of winning contracts as well as submit expressions of interest: • Company Profile User Guide • How to submit an Expression of Interest • How to set up your company capabilities For all enquiries, please contact the ICN Victoria Helpdesk info@icnvic.org.au 03 9864 6700 gateway.icn.org.au
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End of year reflections from the Local Jobs First Commissioner What a different year it has been for everyone across the various sectors, as we officially reached our two-year milestone in office. Reflecting on the last two years there have been many highlights but one that has been at the forefront and continues to drive the work we do is the ongoing support from the local industry. Through the role of the Local Jobs First Commissioner and Office, we have engaged with over fourhundred and fifty stakeholders and participated in over three-hundred and forty meetings to date. What we have found through these interactions, particularly during these difficult times, is the ongoing commitment from each of these stakeholders to support Victoria’s local industry. Now more than ever, we must continue on this commitment as we move towards a COVID-19 normal, particularly with the number of upcoming projects in the pipeline. Since the establishment of the Office and appointment of the Local Jobs First Commissioner, we have strongly advocated on behalf of the industry and will continue to work assiduously to support SMEs whilst ensuring they have the same opportunities as large organisations when partaking in government procurement. Throughout the year, we have had a strong focus on the different sectoral groups across the local industry.
This has enabled us to have a greater understanding of the different factors and issues impacting the various sectors across local industry. This will no doubt prove to assist in future decision making as well as provide greater transparency of the impacts of the Local Jobs First policy on the different layers of the supply chain. This not only strengthens our advocacy work it also highlights the importance of ensuring there are fair and equal opportunities for all layers of the supply chain in procurement.
Victoria’s workers with the skills they need to succeed in an everchanging landscape. We want all workers, apprentices, and cadets to benefit from Victorian Government procurement opportunities for years to come. As the year comes to an end, we wanted to use this opportunity to say thank you for your ongoing support of Victoria’s SMEs and local industry. We look forward to working with many more of you in the new year.
The successful implementation of the Local Jobs First policy continues to provide significant investment in future workplace capabilities whilst equipping
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Meet the board We asked each of our Board Members the same four questions to help you get to know them a little better How has the pandemic affected you? I didn’t get to see Collingwood play. What do you love most about Victoria? Victoria Park How long have you been on the Board? It’s longer than the last time Collingwood won a premiership. What attracted you to the position? I was promised they could locally procure a Collingwood premiership
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Dugald Murray (V
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How has the pandemic affected you? It’s been a wild year. COVID has both sped up and slowed down life. I have relished more time at home with family, and a lot more work to get through helping keep business open and people in jobs. What do you love most about Victoria? Our natural environment, diversity and liveability, and that as an industrial state we make things. How long have you been on the Board? Two years. What attracted you to the position? ICN’s mission.
How has the pandemic affected you? Where do I start..? Being vigilant and tolerant. What do you love most about Victoria? Everything! What I really love is how Victorians, from Industry to Community, care for each other, stand up for each other and look after each other. How long have you been on the Board? 2 years. What attracted you to the position? My role as a Victorian state secretary of AMWU and my interest in the local jobs first policy.
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Ben Davis (AWU
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How has the pandemic affected The only thing it has stopped me d out. The 5km ring and then the 25k annoying, I wasn’t able to move aro What do you love most about Vi I think Victoria is a great place beca the diversity of climate. It’s not hot and it’s not dry like parts of WA. If I fashioned term, it’s the green and p How long have you been on the I think it’s 21 years. What attracted you to the positi I’ve always been involved in Austra projects and think that the work we local companies can have opportun be involved in major project work – successful.
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Gillian Sp
How has the pandemic affected you? Reaffirmed how many of my members are in fact essential workers. What do you love most about Victoria? Culture, sport and environment. People are OK too. How long have you been on the Board? 7 years or thereabouts. What attracted you to the position? Place to be if you are interested in local content.
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How has the pandemic affected you? The pandemic has made me even more grateful for the simple things in life. Grateful for my family, health, job and for living in a village community immersed in nature. What do you love most about Victoria? Victoria is my home and I love everything about it – including the weather! From our cities to the regions, sporting culture to the arts, the people, the food, the vibe, the opportunities and our natural beauty - from east to west and north to south. How long have you been on the Board? I joined the ICN Victoria Board early in 2014 - so nearly 7 years. What attracted you to the position? I believe deeply in our mission and prior to joining the Board, had firsthand experience of ICN’s critical role supporting industries and creating jobs. I was also attracted to working with such a diverse and experienced group of Directors.
Alesha Printz (Engineers Australia) Alesha & Kids
How has the pandemic affected you? I’ve been working from home since March, however home learning with a 5yo whilst my 3yo was running around was the biggest challenge for me in 2020! What do you love most about Victoria? I love regional Victoria. I’m a country girl, so I love visiting our beautiful, natural environments from the mountains to the beaches and everything in between. I can’t wait to spend January visiting some of my favourite spots. How long have you been on the Board? I joined the board in October 2018, so I’m a bit of a newbie! What attracted you to the position? I appreciate the impact of ICN’s work on the local economy and that’s what attracted me to the role. ICN connects local companies to project opportunities and I’ve seen first hand how this builds capacity within an organisation, creates jobs and the ripple effort of further opportunity.
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Family-owned Austeng leading the way with innovative thinking
Peter McCracken recently visited Ross George at Austeng in North Geelong for his first industry visit since Covid19 hit but they all ended up being in the same industry. I was 50 at the time, so we looked at what we wanted to do going forward – do we want to retire?” Said Ross. Austeng is a story of resilience and diversifying.
Austeng has a niche offering in the commercialisation of ideas – working closely with start-up companies and universities, turning their ideas/concepts into a prototype or early-stage production equipment or indeed any other engineering challenges facing companies that require innovative design thinking. Ross George, one of the co-owners of family-owned business Austeng sat down with Peter McCracken our Geelong based Regional Industry Adviser, and Communcations and Marketing Manager, Kate West for a Firside Zoom Chat.
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“Our story is similar to a lot of companies (in Geelong). We had a great slide that I put up in presentations… with the Ford badge, GMH, Nissan, Toyota, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Bendix Brakes, Ajax Fasteners, GD filters – it’s a big list. They were all our customers and they all disappeared. It actually happened very quickly for us because we were supplying capital equipment. So, when they announced their closure, the people that were making their nuts, (for example) Ajax Fasteners, they had three years to transition. But, if you are providing capital equipment, as soon as they announce their closure, they’re not going to buy any more capital equipment. So, it was a guillotine for us. In that space (of time), we lost 90% of our business overnight. So, it was devastating to us. We thought we had a wide diversity of customers,
“We ended up taking our business model of engineering solutions and try to find new homes for it. So, we are now working with some startup companies in some fascinating areas. I’m actually optimistic enough to think that in an odd way the car companies leaving the country, will ultimately be a benefit to the country, because all the startups we are woking with, they are elaborately transformed, high value add, high technology, high smarts products and services that I don’t think would have evolved, if the other large manufacturing were absorbing a whole lot of our expertise and a whole lot of our capacity. So, I’m very optimistic about our future,” said Ross.
Fun fact: Austeng was one of our very first clients way back in 1984. “One of the problems we have as an SME is how do we project ourselves out into the marketplace. We think we’ve got some good expertise in certain areas, and how do we get people to understand our capabilities and what our business is. The
networking part of it (industry events) is quite important to us and the ICN, over the journey since 1984 – what’s that 36 years – the ICN has always been a completely valuable part of our network and getting our name out there,” said Ross. Peter recently visited Austeng in North Geelong for his first industry visit since Covid19 hit. “Every visit to Austeng is a new experience as they delivery such a diverse and cutting-edge range of engineering services. Given Austeng have been known to ICN for so many years it’s a rewarding experience to see how both companies have evolved over time. Whilst I have ‘only’ been with ICN for ten years, I have
been aware of Austeng since their establishment when working in the automotive industry,” said Peter. “Austeng are always working on cutting edge technology, there’s always something really interesting happening. They are certainly a cutting edge and precise engineering company,” said Peter. One such example is the equipment in the background of the photo to the left takes food waste (in this case grape seeds) and ultimately turns them into antioxidants that have numerous applications in the neutraceuticals sector.
being a fibre reinforced geopolymer bridge with numerous environmental and other benefits including longevity and maintenance free that has been built for the City of Greater Geelong. This project is being completed as part of a collaboration between Austeng, Rocla Australia and Deakin University. There really is no better time to think innovatively, invest in R&D and create new partnerships and this firm is showing the way.
The photo above is another example of an exciting project
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Barwon & Great South Coast Social Procurement Showcase
The first Social Procurement Showcase focussed on practical applicatons of the Social Procurement Framework Networking session for interested attendees. Attendees were rotated between a Breakout room hosted by Melissa Raby from John Holland, another hosted by Brian Finnigan from our Social Procurement team and additional general breakout spaces. We received some great feedback out of this networking session, which was followed by our End of Year Virtual Networking event on December 16.
On September 1, 2020, the Social Procurement Program commenced at ICN Victoria with a brand new team of 3 staff. Fast forward to November 26th, we hosted our very first Social Procurement-based event, which concentrated on organisations and practical applications of the SPF from the Barwon and Great South Coast region. Presentations from John Holland, Downer and Lendlease were a core part of the webinar, but there were also several other speakers from RDV, G21 GROW, social enterprises and ICN Victoria itself.
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Our Regional Industry Adviser, Peter McCracken was instrumental in bringing this event to life having identified an appetite in the Barwon & Great South Coast region for practical applications of the Social Procurement Framework. This was also our first dedicated social procurement event under the Social Procurement Program banner with our Senior Social Procurement Adviser, Brian Finnigan presenting. A big thank you to all of our speakers! In support of the main webinar, ICN Victoria also put on an Online
As part of the Social Procurement Showcase, we highlighted three social enterprises active in the Barwon & Great South Coast region – with the support of G21 GROW’s Ainslie Magness. Please read on to hear more about each social enterprise.
My Maintenance Crew Based in North Geelong, My Maintenance Crew is a profit-forpurpose social enterprise aimed to provide workplace skills and employment for young people aged 17-25 at-risk or currently longterm unemployed. The Operations Manager, Brad Keating, explained in the webinar that this is implemented through a four-week internship through Occupational Health and Safety training, employment fundamentals and introduction of trade skills such as painting and light construction. Once the internship is at its conclusion, each person is interviewed, and some are offered further employment at My Maintenance Crew.
Some of the My Maintenance Crew’s services include landcare, commercial cleaning, steam cleaning, building maintenance, mould remediation, painting, and fencing. Work is spread across Geelong and other areas of Victoria, including contracts with WorkSafe and VicRoads. Revenue is divested back into the enterprise to provide more placements into the internship program.
Good Cycles With operations in Geelong established in 2018, Good Cycles has a range of enterprises that services communities in Victoria, such as Community Cycling Stores and Fleet Services. Norris Construction has had a social procurement relationship with Good Cycles since April 2020. As speaker Tom Allen commented, this relationship was enabled by G21 GROW and has led to over 300
employment hours at the Chisholm Road Prison project, with discussion occurring at a very early point in the project timeline. Good Cycles prides itself on innovation and creative solutions to problems. For example, as part of their fleet car cleaning service, Good Cycles utilizes e-bikes as the transport vehicle. This allows young people without a car licence to get a start in the labour market. They find as an organisation that when an innovative solution is delivered that it provides deeper meaning for the work that they accomplish, helping them to see the change they want to see to their lives. Meaningful, purpose-driven employment is the core focus of Good Cycles. Finally, GC encourages involvement in the procurement process at the initial stages, as this drives better outcomes for all involved.
Fruit2Work Fruit2Work are a not-for-profit certified social enterprise that provides fruit & milk to businesses across Geelong and metropolitan Melbourne. As stipulated by Karolina Kralj, their core purpose is to employ those impacted by the justice system, giving them the opportunity to reengage with their friends, family and local community. The taxpayer saves $400,000 a year for every time an exoffender does not re-offend, as well as enabling safer streets in general. Fruit2Work recognizes that any of us can experience a bad turn of events, regardless of personal circumstances or upbringing. One such story is Simon Fenech, Operations Manager at Fruit2Work, which was the second half of their presentation. Rather than retell his journey here, we encourage everyone to watch his presentation from link below.
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Practical applications of the Social Procurement Framework The Victorian Government’s Chisholm Road Prison Project is a significant opportunity to enhance the level of collaboration with industry.
GROW (G21 Regional Opportunities for Work) is an initiative changing the way we buy and employ locally to support job creation for the G21 region. This valuable network aims to support local businesses to create jobs for people in our community experiencing entrenched disadvantage. The network is made up of a diverse range of organisations working collaboratively to support the transition to work for people facing barriers to employment, GROW Manager Ainslie Magness’s vision for GROW is that all people in our community have opportunities for work but especially those who are doing it tough.
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The Victorian Government’s Chisholm Road Prison Project is currently under construction by the Community Safety Building Authority and offers a significant opportunity to enhance the level of collaboration with industry. The ICN facilitating the Victorian Government’s Local Jobs First Policy has afforded Managing Contractor, John Holland, the opportunity to continue their engagement in social procurement. The collaboration between the Community Safety Building Authority, John Holland, ICN and GROW has seen the establishment of strong industry engagement towards delivering on the State Government’s GROW and social procurement objectives.
Peter McCracken, ICN Victoria Regional Industry Adviser said “Industry has a thirst to better understand GROW and the wider social procurement aspects of today’s business requirements”. Check out Gateway for currently awarded tenders on the project: John Holland Chisholm Road ICN Victoria’s recent establishment of a social procurement support team has future strengthened industry support towards projects such as Chisholm Road Prison Project by providing John Holland, GROW and local industry with an extra level of clarity and connectedness that has been sought by the industry as many of these initiatives are new to their daily business activities.
John Holland Social Procurement Manager, Melissa Raby, said working with ICN and GROW is a great example of how each organisation can play a part on social procurement to achieve significant outcomes for the community. “We are seeing our trades change their employment processes and their procurement to be more inclusive, which in addition to local employment will strengthen the already diverse community of Geelong. The contacts and support given by GROW and ICN have been pivotal to our engagement with the local community.�
Across Victoria there are currently 3500 social enterprises who are employing around 60,000 people and contribute an incredible $5.2 Billion to the Victorian economy.
ICN has an important role to play in ensuring industry understands what social procurement is and how it may fit in with respective business models. In the first of a series of regional events, ICN presented a Social Procurement webinar for the Barwon and Great South Coast region with generous support from Downer, John Holland and Lendlease that stepped attendees through practical applications of the Framework. For a wrap of this of event please refer to pages 12-13, you can also watch a replay of the webinar below:
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Unearthing the next generation of our workforce Facilitating the employment and management of apprenticeships and traineeships •
Head Start is a Victorian Government Department of Education program for apprenticeships and traineeships co-designed with business groups for secondary school students. Our program is an initiative that facilitates the employment and management of apprenticeships and traineeships across many industries, providing many benefits for employers. Head Start’s structure allows students to spend more time doing relevant, on-the-job training. We support our students to complete their senior school education to develop their all-round employment skills. The program was designed to ensure school-based apprentices and trainees receive high-quality training in areas of industry demand and gain an experience that employers value giving them the best start in their career.
Who chooses Head Start? Head Start students choose career pathways in key industries such as
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building, construction, community services and health, business administration and primary industries. Our program aims to assist employers in the following areas: •
•
Provide employers with high quality candidates for interview or trial. Reduced administrative burden for employers with our team organising process including contract of training, sign up and available incentive and funding options.
Assistance with TAFE engagement including training plan, attendance records and monitoring of progress. • Employers can select the appropriate workdays. • Mentoring, support and monitoring of student progress across school, TAFE and the workplace. • Site visits conducted to receive supervisor feedback to facilitate the strengthening of on the job training where requested. • Develop the apprentice or trainee for the future workforce demands of your business. There are 10 participating cluster areas across the state supporting schools. Our Head Start Coordinators build employer and industry connections and provide a point of coordination for students and employers. We also work with government departments and industry to support successful major project tenders in the areas of social procurement. To learn more about the program and become a Head Start employer, visit: education.vic.gov.au
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