 So, good morning, hello and welcome. Thanks very much for joining us for today's webinar. Before I introduce today's guest and we get started, I would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the country and their continuing connection with the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to all traditional owners and to elders past, present and emerging. So, this morning, the RTA is joined by Mark Davidson, who is the State Manager of the Tenancy Skills Institute. The RTA would like to welcome Mark, Tenancy Skills and the RTA have been supporting each other for some time and Mark will provide us today with a bit of background to that relationship along with the Tenancy Skills Program called Skillsets for Successful Tenancy. Before we get on to Mark's presentation, we will be using the chat function today. So, if you have any questions as we go along through today's webinar, please use the chat and pop them in there. If you can't find the chat function as indicated on your screen, check your Zoom toolbar or click on the more and look for chat there. Also, at the end of today's session, we'd love to hear from you on how the session went as well as any future topics that you may like to hear from us about. Please look out for a survey at the end. Your feedback will help us deliver education on what you want to know more about. So, before we move across to Mark, I will just run a quick poll to get an indication of where people are from and what's going on. So, if you'll see that poll being launched, and I'll give you a few seconds to fill that in, just looking there for where you're from and which sector. Thank you very much. So, it looks like we've got a fairly high percentage today, property manager agents and from the South East Queensland area. So, we will use that information as we're going through. But so, moving on, Mark, welcome along and thanks very much for joining us. Thank you, Mark. And thank you for joining us today. So, as Mark said, my name is Mark Davidson I'm the State Manager for the Tenancy Skills Institute. So, today I'm just going to give you a quick overview of tenancy skills who we are and who we're part of, a little bit of information around our tenant education, the type of courses that we offer and also a little bit of information around the content within the different modules. Talk a little bit about the relationships that we form with different, with the real estate industry, with the community support sector and with local communities and also give you a little bit of information around our upcoming courses and also how you can help people access our education. You'll see on this screen, this is I guess a little bit of a mantra for us in that we see a future housing system where the private public and community sectors share a common goal of better rental outcomes for everyone and work together towards that. Thanks, Mark. So, I'll just let you know who we are and who we're part of. So, we're part of in community who was formerly called Ipswich Independent Youth Service. So, in community has been operating since 1982. So, we're celebrating 40th anniversary this year. And until recently, we were mainly working in Ipswich and Westmoreton communities and mainly around housing and homelessness. So, we began in 1982 with having a crisis accommodation shelter just very quickly. So, there are three, I guess, brands or service arms of in community. So, of course, tenancy skills, but in community connect. So, that's really the part of in community that's been going since 1982. So, we have crisis accommodation and many other support programs for Ipswich and Westmoreton communities. Some short-term community housing accommodation. We developed a spin supporting people and share housing model to help people become more rent ready. We provide mobile and outreach homeless support, a women's support group called The Club and also dignity food relief. You may have heard of Bed Down. So, Bed Down has recently joined in community, which we're very happy about. So, Bed Down looks to activate and repurpose spaces that are underutilized at night into pop-up accommodation solutions to ensure the homeless and those who are sleeping rough, sorry, are able to have a good night's sleep and have a better night. And of course, tenancy skills institute, where we look to create better rental outcomes for all through tenant education. Thanks, Mark. So, I just wanted to share some reflections from our CEO, actually, around the first couple of conversations that he had around this idea of tenant education. So, and it was with a person by the name of Andrew Kenman. And his initial comment was, your clients are too risky for us. But what surprised Paul was that they're willing to talk with us, so our local real estate friends, willing to come and meet with us, even though it was costing wages to that business. Didn't really know how to use our sector to help solve problems in tenancies and with difficult tenancies. And when we started to speak about issues and possible solutions, every one of the meeting wanted to create opportunities for tenants. This is just a very quick overview of, I guess, our journey so far. And I won't spend too much time on this just because we do have a bit of information to get through. But very quickly, so starting off with that coffee and chat and initial meetings in 2013, we started developing the model in 2017 and connecting with local real estates. In 2018, State Government approached us to do a small locally funded trial in Toanbeef, Switch and Lagan, and also a small public housing trial. And you'll see in each year there that there's sort of how many people participated in our course and also how many real estate supporters have come on board. So you see by 2019, we've had over 850 participants and 80 real estate supporters, 20, 20, 2400 participants, 158 supporters. And we're sitting around just over 200 supporters at the moment with 190 of those from Queensland. You'll see that there's some of the different things we developed between then and now. So look, this is what we do. We develop and deliver 10 education options, but also really important that we invest in building positive and purposeful relationships with the real estate industry, with the community sector, and especially with local communities. Right, so just firstly, our tenant education, there is no cost to students to access any of our course options. So we are fully funded and therefore all course options are free. So at the moment, we do actually have two options. So everyone who knows of us would know of the skillsets for successful tendencies course. So this course was developed with local real estate agencies in the real estate industry and is recognized by the real estate industry as appropriate for tenants for looking to rent in the private market, looking to improve their current tendency or looking to improve their skills and viability as a tenant within the current competitive market. It's up to 10 hours learning and it really does cover all topics related to renting in a private tendency. We've bought in a new short course called Introduction to Renting and this really came out of a lot of our work with the high schools and seeing that the full course really wasn't necessarily appropriate for people when they weren't ready to look at private renting. So really just to give them that overview and awareness of some of the important things to be aware of in tendencies. So it's a two-hour, it's an interactive workshop. There are no assessments. It is great for future renters. We do have a discussion around share housing, which we're actually adding into the skillsets for successful tendencies course and it just creates a great foundation for people who have not had a private tendency before and aren't currently looking to go into the private, you know, into private market or looking for private rental. It's obviously great for school leavers and it also creates a great platform for people when they are looking to go into the private market that they're aware that the skillsets for successful tendencies course is there and then it will be important for them to do that. At the moment with our learning options, we're just offering that as a closed course, which means we just provided either in schools or some community organisations who are working with people that are not ready to be looking at renting at the moment. So with our learning options, I'll just very quickly go through that. So we have, I guess, three or four different options. So we have open classroom courses, which we deliver across the regions. All our courses can be accessed via our website. So, yep, you can see those courses on the website. Students are supported by a trainer to understand the course content and achieve competency and we do really welcome any support people from support agencies. You know, if a student is feeling a little anxious or a little vulnerable, sometimes it can be just to get them into the classroom and then they're fine. But for those who may feel a little anxious around sitting in a live classroom and also for those who maybe cannot access a local classroom course, we did start online classrooms when COVID started. And so we've actually, I guess, bought that back and we're having monthly scheduled online Zoom classrooms. And that's really good for people who may still want that support of a trainer, but can't get to a course. It does require, of course, a device with a stable internet connection. And students are guided through their digital assessments and learning material by the trainer. And our other option is our self-paced course, online self-paced course. So this is great for people who don't have time to get to a classroom course or to get to a scheduled Zoom online classroom course. And students can do it in their own time. What's really important with this course, though, is that all students complete a phone assessment interview with a trainer when they complete all their competencies. And this just helps for us for the student to confirm their learning. It gives one-on-one time for the student to ask any of those questions, to talk through their tenancy issues, anything they may be unsure about. And we're getting great feedback that they really enjoy that one-on-one time with the trainer. And we're getting really good feedback from our trainers about the quality of those final assessment phone interviews. And lastly, we just have those private closed group options. So where it might be a community support service or a school, sometimes different training and employment programs will look for us to deliver a course to their cohort. So next, you'll see our certificate. Now, this is the only certificate we give to students who complete the skill sets for successful tenancies course. And the learning outcomes you'll see are included on the second page of the certificate. Look, you're most welcome to email moderator at Tenancy Skills to confirm that that student is legitimate, if you like. But even with our introduction to Rending, we don't give out certificates or anything so that there's no confusion about someone who's done this course. I'll quickly just go through our course content just to give you a bit of an idea of what we teach. So the first module, Define Plan and Maintain Effective Communication. So this is really the baseline, the foundation of our tenant education because we know and we've certainly heard very clearly from our real estate supporters and from our friends who have helped us with course material, how important communication is. So we provide all the information around effective communication with the tenancy. We provide guidance regarding how to communicate with different audiences, how to keep communication records, managing maintenance requests. And as I said, we do that for the full tenancy journey. So from before they're starting to even apply for properties right through to how a tenant would end a tenancy because we all know how important that is as well. So module two, Understanding Tenants' Rights and Responsibilities. So this assists students to understand their obligations as a tenant, understanding the responsibilities of all parties within a private tenancy and really I guess what we do is help students understand the how. So not only what are their obligations but how do they actually fulfill those obligations and we really go through step by step in each area of that. We also explore the tenant's obligations and rights that exist within each stage of that tenancy and that renting cycle and really importantly, how to get help, where to get help and how to really self-advocate. So module three, Develop, Implement and Monitor Effective Cleaning Techniques. We spend quite a bit of time talking to students through the cleaning model as we know it has such a major impact on tenancies. We know that tenants who maintain the cleanliness of their rental property throughout their entire tenancy are more likely to have their lease renewed, receive positive rental references for future tenancy applications, etc. So this is a very practical module. We do a lot around cleaning schedules to help people really order and have some structure in order around how they keep the property clean. We talk through and help them to know what cheap natural products they can use for different purposes. We spend a lot of time around even cleaning products and making sure that people aren't using wrong products and therefore maybe causing damage, etc. And importantly, again, we talk through the whole tenancy journey. So routine inspections, exit inspections, bond cleans, etc. And the other part with that schedule obviously is it goes from day to day, through to weekly, monthly and seasonally. Module 4, just importantly, we don't provide financial advice because we're not financial advisors, but we do teach the basic principles of budgeting and financial management specifically within a tenancy. So we utilize the ASIC money start training resources, which are really valuable if you haven't seen them before. And module 4 really breaks down the reasons to budget, how to build and stick to a budget, how to better manage their money through budgeting, unpacking debt, payday loans, etc. And also knowing where to get assistance when that's needed and again how to self-advocate. Now just very quickly, module 5, and I know I had mentioned that before. So module 5 is only for our self-paced online course and it is that final assessment interview. So a final assessment interview. And look basically, the student will go through to the end of their course in module 5. The second last slide, they click to download a question scenario. And then the last slide, they click and it goes into a calendar and they book a course with one of our trainers and our trainer famous the student. So I'll just talk quickly around some of the benefits. So these are the benefits that have been reported both by students, by property managers, and also by community support services. So firstly, we see increased confidence. We realise that students understand now what is involved in renting and have the confidence to make great applications. They communicate effectively with property managers and property owners and their confidence, sorry, to problem solve tenancy issues as they arise and ask the right questions that they need to be asking. So we find that that's really valuable benefit for students who complete that course. The other part is increased understanding. So students understand all that is involved in a tenancy and the important aspects to be aware of. Tenants understand the options available for assistance or support when they need it and how to access them. And we see that that increased understanding goes hand in hand with increased confidence. We see those improved skills in our students. So students have developed the skills to provide great tenancy applications. They know how to apply for properties now. They know they know how to problem solve tenancy issues and how to get in contact quickly with the property manager to sort through issues before they become problems and how to find the support information they need. They learn how to complete tenancy forms, how to manage maintenance issues and any other issues that are arising within their tenancy. And we see better outcomes in general. So of course student outcomes. We see that students manage their tenancies better because they're engaging in positive and professional relationships with the property manager or property owner. Students are successful in gaining rental property. So we get a lot of feedback from students who've completed their course saying they've found a property and that their tenancy is going well. Students and property managers report positive tenancies. We'll see that more student outcomes will become more long term as more people engage with our training. And same with housing outcomes. We do see that certainly on that individual level. But we're really looking forward to seeing improved tenancies, sustained tenancies, better experiences for all parties in a tenancy with less issues and less associated costs. And as I said, we are seeing that, but we really would like to see that more long term as more people to engage. So I'm just going to start talking about our investment in relationships. And first and foremost, I guess just talking about the REIQ, the RTA and the Queensland Government. So positive and purpose for relationships are vital for our education to make a positive impact. We know that and we know that we need and it's really important to us to have good relationships across the board. We also know that we have a small role within the broader housing community. However, we know what we can provide can really support the work of property managers and property owners and noting that about 93% of rental housing is provided through the real estate industry and through private landlords. So it is important that we're supported by peak and governing bodies. So we have a great relationship with the REIQ. We do some copromotion. We're recommended by the REIQ to all their members. We attend zone events and we'll often even speak at different zone events, sorry. And we have excellent relationships with the REIQ leadership and also their board and get a lot of support from both board level and their leadership. RTA we have a great relationship with. We've been doing a lot of work together since tenancy skills began. So a couple of things. The RTA have been great with doing content reviews on our education material. Certainly promoting our education. We join with the RTA going to different roadshows around the state when they happen. So going and supporting what the RTA is doing and vice versa. And we're also involved in RTA working group which is around education and communication. So yeah, we have a great relationship with them. And also with the Queensland government. So Department of Communities Housing and Digital Economies. So of course there's funding support from them. But also we have really broad support especially through the housing service centres. So the house each housing service centre is quite involved with us with referrals with we have meetings constantly and just seeing what's happening in the local context that help us with their news etc. Thanks Mark. So investing in positive and purpose relationships is foundational to tenancy skills institute because we know that that's so important in providing not only quality but appropriate and relevant to an education. We value the many relationships we invest in through the real estate industry through the community support sector including those people involved in housing and homelessness and also with especially with local communities. Thanks Mark. So I'll just talk quickly to that. So yeah, obviously the REIQ we're involved with and currently we have a 190 real estate agency supporters in Queensland. So it's really vital that we invest in developing positive purpose relationships with the real estate industry. As I said 93% of rental stock is provided by property owners and real estate agencies and it's a very important part of our work. We understand that by meeting and it's our mission by meeting the needs of property managers and the real estate industry that we create real and genuine pathways to future tenants regardless of their background. So we see that through our supporters and many other real estate agencies who aren't yet official supporters and property managers really see the value of our education options and get involved by guests speaking at our classroom courses. We do have a number of people who provide us with content feedback and also sharing our course information with their tenants in the local community. We know that property managers who support our program really value the graduate certificate knowing that that potential tenant has invested up to 10 hours not only to complete the course but better prepare themselves to maintain a good tenancy which is possibly the property owners largest asset. We engage and work in the community support sector so both broadly and with local communities and this ensures that our tenant education is available for people who are being supported in tenancies or to gain a tenancy to build their knowledge and skills as tenants and be able to enter the private rental market when they're ready or successfully maintain their current tenancies. We know that this is especially helpful for young people and first-time renters which is why it's really important for us to connect with those different youth services, youth support agencies, schools etc and local communities are really important partners to us so we invest in relationships in local communities so we visit local communities not only when we're training but also just to go and do some community engagement. We really value the relationships that we have with local real estates with local councils and local infrastructure like libraries, community centres etc connecting with local schools obviously local community support organisations and local traditional owner groups of our First Nations people. I'll just give you a quick update of the upcoming courses so you can see those courses we'll just give that a little bit of time for you to read through so they're the ones we have happening in June. Thanks Mark go to the next slide. Here are some open courses we have happening in July. I'd encourage you to check our website regularly if you're looking for something in your area because we are continually also updating our calendar with new courses this is just what we have in place at the moment and these ones are to be advertised in August. You will see there that we had those online so that's from a colleague there Mark those online Zoom courses so that as I said they're scheduled monthly which means if you do have tenants or people you're supporting that you know are not in an area where there's a classroom available they had those two options of either the online Zoom classroom course or to do the online self-paced course. So how can you help? So influence is not an influence is not a new term is it you know we've had mums, dads, aunties, teachers, inspirational people in our lives you know for a long time so I don't think it's something that's just come through on Facebook and social media but this is something that we really do rely on is the influences in local communities and really to increase the awareness of our training. So our influences are definitely yet mums, dads, aunties, teachers etc. Certainly you know local service providers, support workers, librarians, teachers, local council, job network providers etc etc and you'll see that there's ways that you can really I guess help by you know knowing more about what we're offering and then being able to support people to access our training. So you can certainly check and share information and we certainly have a lot of information on our website, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We also do emails directly and through local networks and also we have a new website which will be coming on board in the next few weeks and there will be lots of different course information and stuff there. Thanks very much everyone. Really just open for questions now Mark. Mark at a really interesting look at your organisation and what you do. Thanks very much for sharing a lot of that. I guess from our end or certainly a personal thing I didn't realise the connectivity through not only ourselves as the RTA, the REIQ but the community connection that goes along with what you do out there. It's fantastic. Thank you. So we do have a couple of questions that have come in. I think you did touch on this but one of the questions was around the cost for the courses. Yeah so yeah there is no cost to students so everything we do is fully funded. Fantastic. Another question there. The outcome aspect or any difference between the outcome with an online or face-to-face course? Yeah thank you. That's a really good question and it's something that we do get asked quite a lot. To be honest it's really around the personal style of the person who's needing to access our training. So we see that both actually have excellent outcomes which is why I really wanted to speak earlier around that final phone assessment interview because that's a really important part of the students learning to have that one-on-one time with the trainer and really talk through their own situation. So for some people they might not get that chance in a classroom environment. They might be a little bit shy or something to speak when there are others in a class whereas in that one-on-one interview it's all their time so they can be as shy as they want and say whatever they want and ask whatever questions they want. I guess the one-on-one interview is kind of similar to maybe the guest speaking when our real estate supporter comes and guest speaks in a classroom and the students get that opportunity to just ask questions they normally wouldn't ask but this is in that one-on-one time. So really it is personal choice. Both do provide excellent outcomes for students. Very good. Now someone's inquired here around when do the courses run? Are they all year around or only certain times that match up with the terms in the school year or what sort of go there? Yeah so no we run courses all year round. We generally will have that little bit of a break around that Christmas time just because nobody really wants to be attending courses just before Christmas or between Christmas and New Year. So we finish our classroom training mid late December and then start again early mid-January. So yeah all year. Very good. And one final one and I think again this might have been touched on but we can provide a little bit more information. So from a support worker with an anxious client are they able to assist or what options are available in those circumstances? Thanks Mark. Yeah actually there's a few options and one thing that I didn't get to mention is we're developing a mentoring role which will just be simply doing a short training webinar with our training manager going through the online course and then having resources to support people through the online course. So that's one of the things that can be really helpful. And yeah the other thing is obviously final final assessment interviews. We encourage and welcome support workers to sit with their client or you know with the student if that's what's needed around any anxiety. Same with attending a class as yes I had mentioned earlier we sometimes will have a support worker just come to the class and because they know that that person is is quite anxious or quite shy but they do need to sit in a classroom. So we're really open and flexible to have whatever support is needed to help people to understand all the content and be competent. Fantastic that's really good to know. All right well Mark we really appreciate you coming along today and sharing all of that with us. Just from the RTA perspective ladies and gents be aware of our education opportunities or access. So our emailed newsletter are subscribed to eNews. We do have our Talking Tenancies podcast and obviously the webinars such as today and they're all available through our website. So again thank you very much for attending and if there is any need to contact us there's our website and phone number and hopefully we'll see you at our next webinar. My apologies. Thanks very much. Cheers.