Founding employee and former CEO reflects on 40 years of building futures
The beginning of a regional success story
When John Ackland walked into his new job on 6 October 1986, he wasn’t joining an established organisation or a growing business.
He was the business.
Working from a small office above the Commonwealth Employment Service in Horsham, John Ackland became the first employee of what was then known as Wimmera & Grampians Group Training Incorporated, laying the foundations for what would eventually become Skillinvest Limited. In its first 12 months, the organisation supported 25 apprentices across the region.
Forty years later, as Skillinvest celebrates its milestone anniversary, Mr Ackland has reflected on the early days, the challenges, and the belief that helped transform a one-person operation into a trusted employment, training and education organisation supporting communities across Victoria and beyond.
The Group Training model emerged as a response to Australia’s apprenticeship shortage. Wimmera & Grampians Group Training was established to bring that model to the region and create more opportunities for local employers and apprentices.
Mr Ackland said small businesses often wanted to take on apprentices but couldn’t always guarantee enough work.
The solution was simple but innovative: apprentices could be employed through a Group Training Organisation and rotated between host employers when required.
“It was a great concept,” Mr Ackland said.
“I never thought it wasn’t going to succeed. As long as we could get the numbers, I knew it would work.”
But turning that vision into reality required determination.
Without mobile phones, email or the internet, much of Mr Ackland’s time was spent travelling throughout the Wimmera and Grampians region meeting with employers, councils and community groups face-to-face and calling people after hours.
He attended council meetings across the region, visited local businesses, set up promotional displays at field days and agricultural shows, and even used a caravan as a mobile marketing office to help spread awareness of the new organisation.
“My first budget was around $24,000 to $26,000 for the year,” he recalled.
“That had to pay me and cover everything we were trying to do.”
As apprentice numbers began to grow, so did confidence in the model. Reaching 15 apprentices was an important milestone, followed by 30 and then 50 apprentices, proving the service was delivering value to employers and communities across the region.
The organisation’s second employee, Annette Jardine, was brought on board to assist with payroll and administration, allowing Mr Ackland to spend more time building relationships and supporting apprentices and employers throughout western Victoria.
Growing beyond apprenticeships
While apprenticeships were the organisation’s foundation, its impact soon extended much further.
Throughout the 1990s, the organisation expanded into traineeships, employment programs and training services (becoming a Registered Training Organisation), creating new pathways for people to gain skills and find meaningful work. Programs supporting young people, Indigenous communities and job seekers helped create opportunities for those facing barriers to employment.
“Helping young people who otherwise may not have had a chance has always been important,” Mr Ackland said.
As the organisation evolved, so too did its identity. In 2000, Wimmera & Grampians Group Training Incorporated adopted the name WORKCO Limited to better reflect the broader range of employment and training services it had grown to provide.
Mr Ackland said continued growth was important as government funding and contracts increasingly shifted towards larger organisations with broader geographic reach.
“We had to get bigger. We were a big fish in a little pond,” he said.
A bigger footprint across Victoria
As part of that growth strategy, WORKCO’s Board assumed responsibility for LINK Employment and Training in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs in 2002, and in 2007 EastVic Workforce in Gippsland. The three organisations continued to operate separately until LINK Employment took over EastVic Workforce in 2009.
Another defining moment came on 1 January 2006 when WORKCO took over the administration and operation of Longerenong College from the University of Melbourne, helping secure the future of one of Australia’s oldest and most recognised agricultural education institutions. Mr Ackland said the decision reflected the organisation’s willingness to embrace opportunities that others may have considered too risky.
As the organisation grew, so too did its contribution to regional communities.
A legacy built on people
Long-term support for community initiatives, local events and women’s sport became part of the organisation’s identity. Partnerships supporting women’s netball through the Horsham District and Wimmera football netball leagues, along with support for the Stawell Gift and other community organisations, reflected a commitment to strengthening the communities in which Skillinvest operated. These partnerships continue today.
“The organisation has always been about community,” Mr Ackland said.
The next major chapter came in 2015, when WORKCO and Link Employment and Training merged to create Skillinvest Limited. The merger brought together decades of experience in employment, training and community services and established the organisation known today.
Later that year, Skillinvest secured a significant Jobs Victoria contract to deliver employment and training opportunities for Indigenous communities across Victoria, including the award-winning VicPol program delivered in partnership with Victoria Police.
Today, Skillinvest’s reach extends far beyond the small office where it began, but Mr Ackland believes the organisation’s greatest achievement isn’t measured by its growth.
Instead, it is the people.
The apprentices who became qualified tradespeople.
The trainees who built successful careers.
The employees who contributed to the organisation’s success.
The Board Members who believed in and supported the organisations work.
And the communities that supported the journey along the way.
“What gives me the most pride is the success we’ve had helping young people into employment, apprenticeships and traineeships,” he said.
“We achieved our goals. Skillinvest is still going 40 years later.”
Editor’s note: As part of Skillinvest’s 40th anniversary celebrations, a series of stories will be shared in the coming weeks highlighting the people, projects, partnerships and achievements that have contributed to the organisation’s success.
