Mortgage fraud is "systemic" in Australia

Mortgage fraud is systemic in Australia, with more than a quarter of recent home buyers admitting they misrepresented some information on their loan application. The disturbing results come from a survey of 1,228 people who had taken out a mortgage over the past two years, conducted by investment bank UBS. The key finding was that 28 per cent of people surveyed said their mortgage application was not totally factually accurate. Of those who admitted misstating information, the bulk said their application was "mostly factual and accurate". However, one-in-20 mortgage applicants admitted that...

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Aged care workforce on a crutch

A parliamentary inquiry has brought to light concerns of training deficiencies, accreditation needs and future staffing levels in the aged care sector. Almost 300 submissions have been received from both the NFP and for-profit sectors. Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee, WA Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said some of the biggest concerns were around staff training and retention. "The issues that have come up are around inconsistent and inadequate training, remuneration and wages, lack of a career path and concerns about the growth of the workforce into the future,...

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Major reforms to shake up VET industry, loans scheme scrapped as of 1st December 2016

Vocational education, the great hope of the Gillard government to boost Australia’s skills based is an unmitigated disaster. The sector is expected a blowout of $3 billion in public debt this year. While its completion rate for courses is delivered online hovers around 6%. So how did it go so wrong? Starting in 2012 the Gillard announced that publicly funded TAFE’s must now compete with private institutions who has shifted most of their learning online. As a result, the private market had access to public student loans while under its restructure, TAFE had to close its campuses, 5000...

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What is it like working as the Personal Assistant to the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron

Recently, the conference producer of Akolade’s 3rd Annual Public Sector EA & PA Summit, Claire, conducted an interview with Kate Marley who was the Former Personal Assistant and Political Special Adviser to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron to ask her what is it like working for the most powerful leader in the UK. C = Claire, Akolade’s Conference Producer K = Kate, Former Personal Assistant and Political Special Adviser to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron C: Was it always an ambition to work so closely with the Prime Minister? K: I started working for David Cameron when...

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Dreamworld: A case study of ineffective management

I have always had a place in my heart for Dreamworld, the popular family theme park located in Gold Coast. This theme park has always been my favourite among the other theme parks in the same area. With the recent tragedy on the 25th October 2016 that took place on the family ride, Thunder River Rapids, claiming the life of 4 adults due to a malfunction of the system, it has affected me, and many Australian families who grew up with the park, deeply. Dreamworld has 1.8 million visitors each year coming from across Australia as well as the globe. Its tagline is “Happiness”, which...

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It’s not about what you know, it’s about what you want Part 1

First you go to school, then you go to work. They are two major components of most people’s life, yet very separate from each other. If you don’t have the right education, you can’t get the job. It’s as easy as that. Or is it? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are worse off than non-Aboriginal. Only 21 per cent of Australia’s Aboriginal population (aged 15-64) has finished Year 12, an often crucial component to be able to enter employment. It is also estimated that 63 per cent of Aboriginal people feel that lack of adequate training and qualifications are a barrier...

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Why isn’t your supply chain digital?

Digitisation is here, but have you explored the benefits of digital transformation on your supply chain? The figures speak for themselves; a digital supply chain can: Lower procurement costs by 20%, Reduce supply chain process costs by 50%, and Increase revenue by 10% If you haven’t digitised your supply chain, perhaps you need to consider the benefits a technology-assisted chain can offer: Drive customer-centricity In an increasingly customer-to-business global economy, it is vital to align your processes with meeting the needs of your end consumer. We have powerful tools...

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The art of effective listening

Have you ever noticed that most people don’t actually listen to hear what you’re saying anymore? They listen to respond. Rather than taking the time to consider what you’re saying, or why you’re saying it, they’re already ten steps ahead inside their own minds, formulating an answer to give you. When I was a child I read a book my Father gave to me. I can’t remember what it’s called but I can remember one key lesson in it. “When someone is talking to you give them your full attention. Listen, acknowledge, wait for them to finish speaking and then reply.” While effective listening...

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Virtual technology meets fashion

Who can honestly say they grew up watching Clueless and weren’t obsessed over Cher Horowitz’s virtual closet? Now almost 2 decades later, the way technology is moving, you can. Technology is constantly changing and so is fashion. What happens when the two collide? Wearable technologies are becoming one of the biggest opportunities in the tech industries and we are now beginning to see them appear on every item of clothing possible. With more people shopping online, shopping centres are exploring ways of bringing the virtual online world to the high street. Take for example; Westfield...

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Communicating a clear message in a time of crisis

Social media has forever changed the marketing and PR landscapes. No longer do the general public have to wait for the information to be released, the glossy brochures or the well-shaped prose.  When a crisis hits your brand it is off and running in the time it takes to blink. Platforms such as twitter now dictate the flow of news and information to see how adaptive an organisation has to be in the realities of social media. All you have to do is look towards the US Presidential election to see the growing influence of social media on a brand. In only a couple of days, the campaign...

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The future of Dementia Care in Australia

Last week Akolade proudly hosted the 2nd Annual Dementia Strategy Summit at Le Montage in Sydney. Bringing together the researchers, industry leaders and Dementia suffers for an in-depth 2 day conversation about the second leading cause of death in Australia. In a September press release from Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon. Key Wyatt AM, MP it was revealed there is a person diagnosed with Dementia  - a group of conditions, which effects over 350,000 Australians and 46 million people worldwide - every 3 seconds worldwide. The staggering amount of people with dementia...

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Australia's Ice Epidemic: Disrupting the supply chain

With an estimated 7% of Australian's aged 14 and over having used meth at least once in their lives and over 50.4% of the same age group reporting crystal or ice as their main form of drug use the nation's Governments are moving towards addressing not only the addiction, but the ice supply chain itself in an attempt to reduce ice availability in Australia. On the 21st of October 2016, Federal Minister for Justice, the Hon. Michael Keenan MP announced a new national plan to cut off the supply of chemicals and equipment used in laboratories that make ice and other drugs.  With huge quantities...

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