Employees at the top of the apple tree – 5 tips for attracting and retaining employees

American musician Pete Wentz said “Girls are like apples, the good ones are always at the top of the tree.” The same analogy can be applied to employees. The good ones at the top of the tree, can be hard to find and even more difficult to retain.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics only 46% of employees have been in the same job for longer than five years. The old days of employees loyal to only one company are few and far between, with a whopping 20% of workers having been in same job for less than one year. But funnily enough, those workers moving in between jobs aren’t look for new career paths but simply for new companies to move too. 

With diminishing employee loyalty, the employment process is becoming increasingly important. Finding the apple at the top of the tree and then being able to retain that apple can be a tricky process.

 

5 Tips for attracting and retaining the best staff:

Create a vibrant office culture

Make things fun. People spend a majority of their lives at work. Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Try to encourage a fun and open culture where people can enjoy themselves. If people are having a good time, they’re more likely to put in that extra effort. Look at Google, one of the most successful companies in the world. They pride themselves on their lax culture and employee satisfaction. 

Speak to your employees in their language 

I was recently introduced to a great book by Dale Carnegie - How to Win Friends and Influence People. One chapter emphasised the importance of speaking to people in their own language. This idea is important for employers when speaking to their staff.   Stop talking about what you want. Speak to your employees in a way which resonates with them. Carnegie opened the chapter with a fishing analogy. He made a good point in saying that whilst his favourite food was strawberries and cream, fish had to be baited using a worm or grasshopper. Funny that.  

Keep them engaged 

Lead your employees don’t just manage them. Inspiring your employees will keep them engaged and ignite a sense of passion. If people are passionate about what they do, they’re much less likely to look elsewhere for new employment opportunities. A survey conducted by CEB found that one-third of star employees were disengaged in their employment and were looking for a new job. Providing your employees with new roles and challenges will assist in keeping them stimulated.

Listen to what they have to say

As Maslow pointed out more than half a century ago, one of the basic human desires is the feeling to be needed. Listening to what your employees have to say creates this sense of belonging. Building a good relationship with your staff is important. It’s next to impossible for your employees to work eight plus hours, when they don’t care about the organisation or what they’re doing.  Listening to what they have to say also creates a sense of equality. You will gain respect and it will create a comfortable work environment.

Respect the work-life balance 

It is only natural that employers want to get the most out of their staff. However it is important to respect the fact that we do not live to work but work to live. The average Australian will spend 10 years of their life at work alone. So it is important to respect the time that employees have off. Ensure productivity whilst employees are at work, so they don’t have to take their jobs home with them.

After all, money only buys happiness up until a certain extent. A study conducted by Princeton found that people who earned over $75,000 not necessarily any happier than their lower earning colleagues.

Companies should focus a larger portion of their efforts inwardly. Most do well with customer service and ensuring that the needs of their customers are satisfied but don’t pay enough attention to the needs of their staff.

Come and listen to the likes of Jon Lang, CEO of Upskilled on strengthening organisational innovation for staff retention. For more information please visit www.akolade.com.au or call us on (02) 9247 600.  

Ashley has lived on Manly beachfront her entire life – she worships the sun and chases it year round. Having recently finished her Bachelor of Business in Portugal’s gorgeous capital, Lisbon, she thought that producing conferences at Akolade would be a great new experience.  Ashley loves her new dinner-time conversation, enlightening people on her research topics! 

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Dementia friendly communities: the importance of recognising the rights of dementia patients

It’s hard to be believe it’s been almost 30 years since my Grandfather was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I can still remember the sign, masking taped onto the back of his bathrobe, ‘if found, return to ward 5B’. I thought it was awful that my vibrant, sports-mad Grandfather was left to spend the remainder of his years tied to a chair for his own safety and protection. It still feels like yesterday and I can still smell the scents of the nursing home if I think of those days.

Alzheimer and dementia treatment has come a long way since then. While the end-of-cycle care is most likely the same, the treatments available are allowing people with Alzheimer’s to live longer, and more fulfilling lives.

“In the same way as any other person with a disability, we should be supported to remain independent in our communities for as long as possible.”

Dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in Australian’s aged 65 years or over, with total direct expenditure to the health and aged care sector totalling $4.3 billion in the year 2009-10. Health and residential aged care spending is projected to surpass $83 billion per annum by 2060.

According to Alzheimer’s Australia, there are more than 353,800 Australian’s living with dementia and the number is expected to surpass 400,000 in less than 5 years. Statistics also show there are over 25,000 people in Australia living with Younger Onset Dementia (diagnosis under the age of 65).

In recent years, there has been a move away from traditional methods of care for people living with dementia, and the creation of Dementia Friendly Communities has captured the attention and imagination of consumers, policy makers, and researchers across the world. 

“The importance of the concept of dementia friendly communities fits with the needs of our human rights and disability rights to be recognised,” Kate Swaffer from Dementia Alliance International said in a recent report. “In the same way as any other person with a disability, we should be supported to remain independent in our communities for as long as possible.”

One of the most well-known examples of a dementia friendly community is the Alzheimer Café in the Netherlands. Founded in 1997, the Alzheimer’s Café has become one of the most easily transferrable programme models used in many countries around the world.

The Alzheimer’s Café’s main aim is to provide a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in an accessible location for all people with or affected by dementia. There are now 230 Alzheimer’s Cafés run around the world by volunteers, attracting over 35,000 visitors a year. In order to support cultural situations the Alzheimer’s Tea Houses have also been introduced for those whose first language is Moroccan or Turkish.

Closer to home, Men’s Sheds was developed to provide men with a work-like setting where they could go to meet others and take part in technical and craft activities. The name came from the Australian tradition of men having a garden shed. The initiative shares many of the same aims as dementia friendly communities including reducing isolation, loneliness and depression in dementia patients.

Trial research and programmes underway in Kiama and Port Macquarie are further exploring the impact of Dementia Friendly Communities in Australia.

Dementia can be an isolating illness, not only for the patients but the families and carers as well. Dementia friendly communities provide a life line out of the isolation and fear that many family and patients find themselves living with.  Ensuring as a high a quality of life as possible for people living with dementia, guarantees them their dignity and humanity for as long as possible.

Mike Cullen has recently returned to Akolade after a period as the conference producer for one of Australia's leading economic think tanks. Mike began working in the conference industry in 2007 after looking for a career change from the high pressured world of inbound customer service. Mike has worked for some of the most well-known conference and media companies in the B2B space and in his spare time is working on his first novel in a planned Epic Fantasy trilogy.

Mike’s most recently published story, Seeds of Eden, is featured in the Sproutlings Anthology released in March 2016.

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‘He just did it ’cause he likes you’: Government takes on domestic violence

Look around your office. Do you have four female colleagues? One of them will be the victim of domestic violence.

According to Safe Horizon, around 25% of women will experience domestic or family violence in their lifetime. This number drops for men with one in six experiencing domestic violence, but it is still too high.

The Coalition government’s new ad campaign began on Sunday: a one minute montage featuring increasingly confronting scenarios of domestic violence.

A young boy slams a door in front of a little girl which causes her to fall over. The mother chastises her daughter, “He just did it ‘cause he likes you.”

A teenage boy at a party takes a down-blouse photo of a young woman as she bends over to pick something up.

A husband backs his wife into a room, slamming doors and yelling, before becoming the young boy who began the disturbing sequence.

“Let’s stop it at the start,” the final line reads. It’s a simple yet poignant message designed to inspire change in parents, teachers and coaches to dispel disrespectful or aggressive behaviour in young men before they become serial offenders.

In an article on the Sydney Morning Herald, Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said that excuses like, "it's just boys being boys" had to stop. 

The $30 million campaign comes a few months after Turnbull announced $100 million in federal government funding to tackle the issue. Domestic violence campaigner Fair Agenda described Turnbull’s announcement as "a good start but they're not enough".

Turnbull’s funds pale in comparison to Victorian Government’s, which dedicated $572m to the cause just last month. This funding will be broken up into housing to shelter more victims, a program to support children in violent homes, family violence services, working with Aboriginal communities and reforming the justice system to protect victims.

Whilst the nation has a long journey ahead to being rid of domestic and family violence, there are four ways you can be part of the change. According to Find Law, these are the steps you can take:

• Call the police if you see or hear something
• Speak out against domestic violence- let people know you don’t find jokes about beating your spouse amusing
• Maintain a respectful relationship as a model for your children
• Be part of your neighbourhood watch program (or start one yourself)

As Rachel Caine says in Fall of Night, “Don’t play his game. Play yours.”

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

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Will you be next victim of online scams?

Do you like to shop online?

Well, unfortunately I have some frightening news for you.

In 2015, there have been 2735 number of reports of online shopping scams with a combined total of $1.46 million loss in Australia, half of the victims being female.

16% of the victims fall within the age range of 25 – 34 years old. 50.6% of these people have placed their orders over the internet, followed by email at 22.9%.

While many of these online shops are legitimate, however scammers take advantage of those unsuspecting shoppers by using the anonymous nature of the internet.

There are three different ways scammers operate:

Setting up fake websites

Scammers will use the latest technology to create websites that look like genuine stores such as making sophisticated website designs, logos, a “.com.au” domain and possibly a stolen (Australian Business Number) ABN number. The fallout with this is that scammers will often ask for money order, wire transfer or loaded money card.

Online auction websites

Most online auction websites, such a eBay have strict policies to protect their customers from scammers. Scammers will try to get these people to make a deal outside of the website or notify these people that the winner of the auction has pulled out and try to offer the item to the person.

Online classified websites

Online websites promotes the sale of goods and services but allows the buyers and sellers to negotiate outside of the website (eg. Gumtree). These scammers post photos of items and create fake ads and have their items selling at a much lower price compared to other similar items.

Some scammers may pose as buyers and send you a cheque for more than what the item was sold for, then ask for sellers to refund the difference. These are known as overpayment scams.

So how can one tell the difference between a legitimate offer and a scam?

Trust your gut feeling - If the price of the item is too good to be true, then it probably is.

Online auction websites such as eBay has a rating system of the buyer or seller. If the person you are looking at exchanging business with has a poor rating, it is best to steer clear away from doing any business with them

The buyer may request immediate payment of the item or by electronic bank transfer or wire service.

The seller does not provide enough information about privacy and terms and conditions of use. They may also be based overseas and would not allow for safe transfer systems such as Paypal to accept payment or credit card transactions.

If you are one of the unlucky ones who have been scammed, you can try to contact your local consumer protection agency such as your bank or credit union. Please also report scammers to the Australian Competitor and Consumer Commission so they can warn people about these scammers and prevent more people from falling victims. They also keep a record of current scams, monitor trends and disrupt scams if possible. 

Don’t forget to spread the word to your family and friends to protect them! 

Being brought up in a typical Chinese family in Australia, Vivian takes pride as an ABC (Australia-born Chinese) where she happily embraces both the Chinese and Australian cultures. 

In high school, Vivian wanted to become a fashion designer, however she has developed a passion for running events after working backstage for multiple live shows. Prior to starting at Akolade, Vivian worked 4 years in the wine industry and she misses the wine tasting sessions and openly drinking on the job. As the Marketing Coordinator, Vivian enjoys using her creativity to design unique and fun campaigns for each event. In her spare time, Vivian loves to spend time with her two adorable pets; a cat and a dog.  

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Looking to improve your fitness and endurance? Have this sweat treat!

Chocoholics rejoice! There is finally a chocolate which is looked at as healthy and helpful for physical fitness nourishment. The healthy dark chocolate tastes and looks like the chocolate individuals understand and adore, however has some differences that makes it diabetic - and vegan-friendly, perfect for physical fitness nutrition.

Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate can have a positive effect on a person’s athletic performance and endurance. In fact, these studies have stated that it may help give athletes an extra edge in their fitness training.

The man behind the discovery was Dr Diederik Esser, a researcher involved in the work from Division of Human Nutrition in Netherlands and published his findings in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.

Esser and colleagues analysed 44 middle aged overweight men over two periods of four weeks as they consumed 70 grams of chocolate per day. Study participants received either specially produced dark chocolate with high flavanol content or chocolate that was regularly produced. Both chocolates had a similar cocoa mass content. Before and after both intervention periods, researchers performed a variety of measurements that are important indicators of vascular health, with dark chocolate being the healthy option.

“We provide a more complete picture of the impact of chocolate consumption in vascular health and show that increasing flavanol content has no added beneficial effect on vascular health. However, this increased flavanol content clearly affected taste and thereby the motivation to eat these chocolates. So the dark side of chocolate is a healthy one." Dr Esser claims.

So there you have it, if you ever feel like an extra hit of energy without feeling guilty, help yourself to some dark chocolate!

The best part of my job as a Conference Production Manager is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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One in Five Australian Teenagers: Unemployed.

Australia is facing one of it's biggest problems in generations, with a reported one in five Australian teenagers unable to find work.

Latest unemployment trend data shows the national youth unemployment rate (for 15–24-year-olds) was at 14.2% in January 2015, more than twice the overall national unemployment rate (6.3%).

Governments, employers, job service providers and educators are seeking better integration around policy and strategy to help young people manage the transition to work.

Under new funding initiatives, the Commonwealth has earmarked $330 million for its National Youth Employment Strategy. This high-profile initiative supports transition-to-work programs, better support for job service provider and funding at the grassroots.

Former federal Treasurer Joe Hockey conceded youth unemployment was 'way too high'; concern's echoed by industry bodies including: the Business Council of Australia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ACTU, Australian Council of Social Services and other advocacy groups. Collectively, they’re calling for nationally-consistent programs to tackle Australia's youth unemployment levels (one of the highest in the OECD).

In an uncertain job market for young people, job service providers are under pressure to better match job access with employer needs and workplace demands whilst ensure marketplace readiness for young people who are seeking job placements.

The goal: to match employers’ needs to tailored placement programs and help Australia's youth transition to work, while helping them plan and prepare their career paths. 

There are also calls for clearly-defined Youth Transitions Services to offer better career advice, vocational training and work experience to young people. This is especially needed across the ‘unemployment hotspots’ within disadvantaged  and regional areas, including; Outback Queensland where youth unemployment reached 28% at the beginning of 2016, making it the worst in the country, and the New South Wales Hunter Valley at 23% and just over 20% in Wide Bay and Cairns.

 Youth unemployment hotspots – Source: ABC News

In an exclusive interview with Chrissie Berryman, General Manager of Skills Tasmania, we asked her what are the important factors that training and workforce development professionals should consider when it comes to getting youth into employment and what are the greatest challenges for policy makers and service providers.

“A training provider who is trying to help young people into work needs to understand their individual barriers. Then work from an approach that all barriers are challenges that can be overcome. We also need to work with local markets- in the schools and communities of these young people. We need to understand what work looks like from young people’s perspective. We need to adopt a shared responsibility approach to this - a holistic system approach.”

“Our challenge as policy makers and service providers is to realise that we can’t do this alone. It must be a collective effort. To support our young people we need assistance from the sports coach, the big brother, the man down at the pub and employers. We also need to help employers remember what it was like to be young looking for employment. It’s vitally important to know who your target market is- it’s not just young people but the people in their lives.” 

Being brought up in a typical Chinese family in Australia, Vivian takes pride as an ABC (Australia-born Chinese) where she happily embraces both the Chinese and Australian cultures. 

In high school, Vivian wanted to become a fashion designer, however she has developed a passion for running events after working backstage for multiple live shows. Prior to starting at Akolade, Vivian worked 4 years in the wine industry and she misses the wine tasting sessions and openly drinking on the job. As the Marketing Coordinator, Vivian enjoys using her creativity to design unique and fun campaigns for each event. In her spare time, Vivian loves to spend time with her two adorable cat and dog. 

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Five things to avoid when starting a new job.

You made it. You nailed the phone call, handled the first interview like a pro, soared through the second interview and then it came- that glorious phone call saying, 'Congratulations, you got the job.'

But don’t get too comfortable, you can’t kick off your smelly shoes under the desk or jabber away on the phone to Aunt Ida about how much weight Aunt Hilda has put on. You got the job so let’s make sure you keep it.

I wandered around the office to ask our hiring managers what were the worst thing a new employee could do. These are five things not to do when you’re starting a new job.

Wear your comfy jeans

Dress for the job, particularly if you’re working in an office or corporate organisation. By not dressing professionally, you will give your Manager the impression that you aren’t taking the job seriously either. Ladies, get out the pencil skirt. Gents, button up your shirt (Yes, all the way. Unruly chest hair will also lose you points).

Run late

One of our Managers recounted how a new employee had missed his bus and worked himself into such a state that he threw up. Until you’re in the swing of the new job, allow yourself extra time. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier. If you ruin your toast or get caught in a traffic jam you’ll be calm knowing that you had the time to spare. 

Not show up

Yes, it sounds ridiculous but more than one person told me that the worst thing a new employee had done was 'not show up'. If you decide the job isn’t for you, you owe them the courtesy of a phone call at the very least. And try not to call in sick. Colds are a fact of life but if you’re well enough to go to the mall for a coffee then sitting at a desk probably wasn’t beyond you.

Be a know-it-all

You might have been your old company’s best researcher. That doesn’t mean your new company does it the same way. Take the opportunity to listen, learn and grow. If it’s your second day and you’re telling your new boss that you’ve finished the project that was meant to take you two weeks, they won’t necessarily be impressed.

Bring your awkward habits

We all have our quirks but try to keep them to a minimum, at least until after you've passed the probation period. Don’t make odd noises (this is something I’m guilty of. It’s easy to forget you’re surrounded by bewildered colleagues). Try to keep your phone voice professional - don’t let your ‘mmm’ noises become too emphatic. Saying 'I like that' can be equally inappropriate - and, don’t talk to yourself, no matter how lonely you feel.

A new job is a daunting prospect; new people, new environment, new rules and a new way of doing things. But it also brings with it a fresh batch of opportunities. So don your best corporate-wear, show up and do so on time, listen and ditch the weird noises.

Today, a new job. Tomorrow, the world.

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire thought it sounded more impressive.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

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3 CIO’s tips on how to take a strategic approach to cloud integration

In the digital world, consumer expectations have changed dramatically. Government needs to connect with the community in unprecedented ways and enable collaboration, innovative project development and coordination of data across multiple platforms, to deliver service excellence.

How are you connecting with today’s public? How can government provide a better service? And how can you do that more efficiently?

Recently, I sat down with a few Chief Information Officers - who are presenting at the upcoming 2^nd Annual Cloud Services in Local Government conference - to get their tips and strategies on implementing cloud integration to better engage with the public.

Nabil Saleh, Chief Information Officer, Woollahra Municipal Council

What do you think are the top 3 biggest challenges in cloud services within government agencies at the moment?

1. Change in mentality to adopt cloud services as opposed to on-premises solutions
2. Ability to cost cloud services with a fair comparison with the traditional in-house models
3. Data sovereignty and security. Ie. Where will our data reside? How secure will it be to ensure our customer’s privacy and to comply with various government legislations?

What are your council’s plans within the next 6-12 months?

This is dependent on whether amalgamations will take place, our focus will be on asset management, improving one services and mobility, systems integration and process mapping

What key strategies or tips could you share regarding cloud integration?

Firstly, understand the scope of services provided and the contractual arrangements. Educate the organisation about the pros and cons of adopting cloud services. Then evaluate cloud versus on-premises option over a minimum of 3 – 5 years period. Finally, have an exit strategy should the cloud services offering not meet service standards and performance requirements. 

Jim Barclay, Chief Information Officer, Logan City 

What opportunities, from your point of view, can cloud services bring to the public sector?

There are so many opportunities with such a service, and the ones that have been thought of so far are widely published on the internet. Cloud Business services expansion or adoption into Local Government will take the same road as previous services delivering offerings such as; Electricity, Mapping, Road Building and Office fit-out. Once good quality and business alignment becomes the normal, adoption will become the normal and the business advantages will include thing most of us have never thought of.

What are you focusing on within the next 6-12 months?

We intend to adopt clouds business services where the business need and the quality cloud business service offering match and are aligned to our priorities as an organisation.

What key strategies or tips could you share regarding cloud integration?

To ensure it is an integral part of the vendors service offering, if not ensure you allow for it as part of your business model, including the implementation and ongoing support, preferably but an external vendor with a quality track record reputation in this field.

Brian Beswick, Chief Information Officer, Sunshine Coast Council

First of all, thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to speak to Akolade.  What do you think are the top 3 biggest challenges in cloud services within government agencies at the moment?

Maturity of the vendor market, with many still insisting on long term fixed contracts rather than more flexible arrangement; Willingness of the business areas to move to a more “vanilla” based deployment of an application delivered via SaaS, rather than highly customised on-premise solutions; Entrenched views on the existing long term ERP type systems within the business, and thus a reluctance to consider new pure SaaS offerings.

What opportunities, from your point of view, can cloud services bring to your council?

More business agility, improved scalability and speed to marketing opportunities; Ability to handle big data in more flexible and cost effective methods; New offerings in terms of analytics, decision support solutions; Reduced vendor lock-in; Providing a means to allow an organisation’s technology staff to provide the value add benefit the business is needing the new digital age, rather than limited resources focused on “keeping the lights on” activities.

What key strategies or tips could you share regarding cloud integration?

Consider utilisation of a cloud based integration suite that utilises the micro-bus approach to service orientated architectures, and develop this in an agile approach. Look to an open industry standard approach in defining APIs and architecture.

To learn more on cloud integration and ways to improve your council’s performance through technology, why not attend Akolade’s upcoming conference Cloud Services in Local Government? The conference will be held in Sydney, from the 26-28 July 2016. 

For more information on the conference, please contact Akolade on (02) 9247 6000 or visit our website here - https://www.akolade.com.au/events/cloud_services_summit_2016/

The best part of my job as a Conference Production Manager is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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A world without antibiotics: What does our future look like?

Prior to the invention of antibiotics in the 20^th Century, the human race suffered fatally from diseases we today consider to be commonplace. 

Bacterial Meningitis was a common killer with 90% of cases in children being terminal. Those who did survive were left with severe deformities. Today, bacterial meningitis can be cured with a simple course of antibiotics. 

With the invention of antibiotics in 1928, life expectancy jumped by nearly eight years. Bacterial infections as a cause of death were on the decline.

This Golden Era of Antibiotics did not last long. Doctors warned about the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), soon after their introduction. AMR is when the organisms being treated are able fight back against the antibiotic treatment, deeming it to be ineffective.  

Both the overuse and misuse of antibiotics are two crucial factors linked to the emergence of AMR. Antibiotics as a form of treatment are proving to be less effective as time goes on.

Australia is recorded as being one of the highest prescribers of antibiotics in the OECD region, whilst a whopping one third of the antibiotics are being prescribed inappropriately. 

These stats are hardly surprising given that 65% Australian workers believe taking antibiotics will help them recover from their cold or flus faster. More alarmingly 60% of GPs actually admitted to prescribing antibiotics just to meet patient demands. It is our job as ordinary people to work alongside our healthcare practitioners, veterinarians and agriculturalists to combat the threat of AMR.

This resonated with me following a recent trip to Germany’s utterly breathtaking capital, Berlin. I had the chance participate in an interactive show which took me back in history to a pre-antibiotic era.

Let me tell you, life hundreds of years ago didn’t seem like a pleasant time. Society succumbed to the threat of fatal diseases, which can now be cured with a treatment of antibiotics.  My visit to the Berlin Dungeon made me truly grateful for the wonders of modern medicine. 

This adoration was shifted when I discovered the threat that AMR poses to society. We could find ourselves in the Berlin Dungeon. The World Health Organising stated that by 2050, there will be approximately 10 million deaths, per year, as a result of AMR.

But the world isn’t all doom and gloom. In recent years, Australia has taken several steps to combat the threat of AMR – foremost a series of national, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives. A majority of healthcare facilities across Australia have incorporated AMS activities within their daily operations.  

Akolade is hosting its 2^nd Annual Forum  on Targeting and Evaluating Antimicrobial Stewardship.  If you are interested in finding out more on Australia’s stance against AMR, come and listen to the likes of Dr Klara Tisocki from the World Health Organisation, on ways to leverage limited resources for AMS. Or Immunologist, Dr Tony Smithyman on an alternative future and world without antibiotics.

 Ashley has lived on Manly beachfront her entire life – she worships the sun and chases it year round. Having recently finished her Bachelor of Business in Portugal’s gorgeous capital, Lisbon (majoring in Marketing), she thought that producing conferences at Akolade would be a great new experience.  Ashley loves her new dinner-time conversation, enlightening people on the threat of antimicrobial stewardship and innovative business models for VET organisations!

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Australia's new national cyber security policy

With online activity and transactions become the norm, cyber-fraud instances are booming and becoming increasingly complex.

A recent KPMG report indicates that the total value of fraud cases brought before the Australian courts between April-September 2015 was $128.4 million, averaging $1.4 million per case.

This is an alarming cost to Australian organisations and as the methodologies employed by fraudsters continue to increase in sophistication, organisations need to constantly stay ahead.

It is clearly vital we all collectively remain attentive and adopt effective tools to address fraud prevention.

A positive and long-awaited advancement will be released in the coming few weeks – Australia's first new national cyber security policy since 2009.

An article with iTnews states key pillars addresses in the policy which are intended to help Australia grow by embracing disruptive technologies from a secure footing in all areas of the economy:

“The document outlines five key areas: strengthening cyber defences, education, partnerships, research and development, and awareness, containing a total of around 19 specific initiatives.”

Government discloses that they will be reliant on private to ensure that substantial technology and systems are in place to forgo the chance of a cyber-attack. Also, threat centres will be established including real-time, online information sharing portal to help produce data and advice for organisations to improve their security measures.

“To harden Australia's networks and systems to compromise and make them resilient to attack, joint public-private sector threat centres will be established in "key" capital cities to share information on threats quickly, the policy states.”

“The private sector will also be asked to help design voluntary cyber security guidelines that outline good practice, alongside "health checks" for cyber security governance that boards and senior management can use to compare their infosec defences to others.” Full iTnews article on the new policy here.

The government also discusses inclusion in the policy on building-out cyber security measures into the Indo-Pacific region and creating partnerships to help prevent and stop malicious cyber activity – plus boosting the government’s cyber skills and increasing the number of skilled cyber security specialists.

“The government also plans to quantify the cost of cyber-attacks to the Australian economy, with the help of the private sector. The figure most often quoted is Symantec's estimate of $1 billion a year.”

Following the increase of fraudulent activity and cybercrime incidents, public and privates must take appropriate measures to protect your organisation against these emerging fraud trends.

Want more on preventing, detecting and responding to fraud?

Join your colleagues and peers at the upcoming 5^th Annual Australian Fraud Summit, 24^th and 25^th May 2016 in Sydney, to discuss all things fighting cyber and internal fraud in a technology dependent era.

After finishing University with a degree in Business Marketing, I decided to make a big jump across seas for the first time and move from the east coast of America to Sydney, Australia. I landed my first job in a sales position in the event industry and soon thereafter moved into a marketing assistant role – following I had the pleasure of interviewing with Akolade which got me to where I am today.

Akolade is a fun, innovative company that brings together people from different walks of life to implement change. As the Marketing Manager, I have the pleasure of wearing many hats which motivates me to succeed, reach people in an array of avenues, grow our events to their full potential, and raise our story. As for me, I am a kind dedicated woman who loves to work hard, exercise, cook, be social and have some fun.

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