Our Fellows Dinners are always a highlight, and our recent gathering in Sydney was another example of how these events are building collaboration and collegiality among senior leaders in our sector.
The night was hosted by our global CEO, Scott Parkin, at the picture-perfect Sala restaurant on the Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont.
There were attendees from Asuria, Octec, Settlement Services International (SSI), Humanity Health Group and Back2Work. There was fantastic food to go along with the exceptional conversations.
On the topic of how we might be more effective in persuading/influencing government to improve the sector, there were some interesting ideas raised.
Among them was a suggestion to utilise the years of experience and research that the IEP has in the UK and provide international factual data to support the local Australian data and present to Government.
Attendees urged IEP to engage with the peak bodies to assist in affecting change and adding a higher level of professionalism, and using surveys to guide that advocacy. There was also positivity about the arrival of an IEP Centre of Excellence program in Australia.
When it comes to workforce development, there was discussion of how to better represent and respond to the needs of frontline staff. The group discussed how their advocacy and experience can be harnessed to improve training across the sector.
Pleasingly, there was also a focus on the benefits of collaboration. The fellows discussed the benefits of taking a positive approach when dealing with other providers and government, enabling talks to concentrate on solutions instead of problems.
Thank you to everyone who attended, it was another fantastic night! We’ll keep you posted on our plans for more fellows’ dinners in 2025.
