2026 VALBEC Conference

July Update

Keep an eye out for the newest Fine Print edition. It will be in your inboxes and/or mailboxes soon!

Some quick updates as to what is going on at the moment.

Professional Learning Forum - July

Our next professional learning forum via ZOOM is on the 23rd July.

Join Jason Spear, as he shares practical, jargon-free strategies to help older Australians build confidence with technology. Discover how to manage passwords, spot scams, understand digital terminology, and develop the skills and confidence to navigate today's digital world, including the growing impact of AI.

Jason Spear is an ACFE trainer at Yarraville Community Centre who specialises in digital literacy for older Australians. He is passionate about helping learners build the confidence and skills to navigate technology, stay cyber safe, and embrace the opportunities of AI.

Details: Thursday 23rd July at 6:00pm. If you are interested, don't forget to register for this event. 

Building Strength with Numeracy (2026)

At the recent 2026 VALBEC Conference we launched the newly revamped Building Strength with Numeracy (2026) resource. 

It is over fifteen years since the publication of the iconic numeracy resource Building Strength with Numbers was released.  It was decided it was timely to take a look at the resource and update some of the concepts and numbers, and to have it reviewed by a literacy teacher to ensure that it can be used for all.  Funding was made available by ACFE for the development of new resources that would build on, and update, these resources.

The updated 'Building Strength with Numeracy’ is a collection of practical, tested resources for teachers to use in a range of settings and made accessible online. Each section of each topic is a PDF allowing immediate downloading, printing and use by teachers and students. 

Don't forget to take a look at this fabulous resource here and let us know what you think!

Post-conference update

Conference papers will be uploaded shortly.

Conference photos from the day are also currently being reviewed...keep your eyes out for those snapshots of yourself.

If you didn't have the opportunity to attend the conference, you can still have a look at the conference program booklet which features an overview of the 15+ concurrent sessions led by LLND practitioners, managers, volunteers and colleagues from across the sector. 

We planned a broad mix of practical, classroom‑ready workshops and presentations, with sessions reflecting the diversity of LLND work—VET support programs, teaching students with disability, corrections, numeracy, Learn Local and pre‑accredited delivery, digital literacy, and more.

We are in the process of collecting all of the papers and presentations and loading them onto the site.

Conference Survey

With the conference now complete for 2026, please remember to complete the very quick survey. It's really important to us that we get feedback to help us plan for a bigger and better 2027 conference. 

 If you haven’t had the chance to give your feedback, please do so by clicking this Link.

Say hello to the 2026/2027 VALBEC Committee

The Annual General Meeting was held on the 15th of May 2026, as part of the 2026 VALBEC conference, when the new committee was formally endorsed.

At this stage, Deborah Mullan has stepped in as Acting (President) for two months. The committee will re-assess the executive roles in the second half of the year.

More information on the role of the VALBEC committee and nomination forms are available here.