Small Business Commissioner John Chapman will be one of five keynote speakers at the Small Business Forums to be held in Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Lincoln next week.
The free forums, which are organised by Local Jobs Program, an Australian Government Initiative, will provide small businesses with a raft of useful and practical information about employing staff. Attendees can hear about key topics that may assist them to easily employ additional staff including awards and wages, superannuation, payroll and tax requirements, payslips and recordkeeping, traineeships and apprenticeships, State and Federal Government programs and funding, plus the range of supports available for small business.
Mr Chapman will be delivering the opening address for the three events and encourages small businesses in the region to attend.
"We are starting to see an increase of networking events for small businesses, particularly in regional areas. Small business people attending these events can expect to hear from the experts on what they need to do to successfully engage new employees" Mr Chapman said.
Along with the Small Business Commissioner, speakers from the Australian Taxation Office, Fair Work Ombudsman's Office, Safe Work SA, Employment Facilitator, Department for Innovation and Skills, Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, Department for Education and Regional Development Australia will complete the format for the event.
The forum series 'Employing People – What You Need to Know' is being coordinated by Lisa Brock, the Employment Facilitator for the North West Country region of South Australia, and the Local Jobs Program support team.
"With high demand for a suitably skilled workforce we want to inform employers about what they need to know so they can easily take on more staff, ease their workload and increase the number of jobs available for people seeking employment in our regions," said Ms Brock.
"Since COVID, many businesses have had to revert to online engagement to keep track of their responsibilities in employing staff, as well as navigating the diverse range of programs and support available, which can often be quite time consuming for small business operators."
The Small Business Forums provide an opportunity for locals businesses to engage face-to-face with key organisations and Government, and help them make employing staff and accessing support easier. Partnering with the Port Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Business Port Augusta and Whyalla Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula and Far North the events hope businesses will get the support they need to recover from the impacts of the COVID pandemic.
The Local Jobs Program, funded by the Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment is being delivered in 25 regions across Australia and forms part of the Australian Government's economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program focusses on supporting local people into work or back into work as soon as possible and is supported by a locally based Employment Facilitator and Support Services.
