Privacy Policy

Latest Version: November 2024 

1. Purpose

This is a policy of Digital Skills Organisation Limited (ACN 641 892 382), trading as Future Skills Organisation (FSO) and outlines the FSO’s ongoing obligations to employees and third parties in respect to how it manages the privacy of Personal Information it collects

2. Overview

FSO is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and its Privacy Principles (APPs). The APPs govern the way in which the FSO collects, uses, discloses, stores, secures and disposes any Personal Information we collect from you, or that you provide to us. A copy of the APPs can be obtained from the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your Personal Information and how we will treat it. Any changes we may make to this Privacy Policy in the future will be posted at futureskillsorganisation.com.au.

2. Audience

This Privacy Policy applies to FSO’s

  • Board,

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

  • Members,

  • Collaborators

  • Employees

  • Contractors and sub-contractors; and

  • Where expressly provided, any individual whose Personal Information is collected by the FSO.

3. Who do we collect Personal Information from?  

We collect Personal Information from the following individuals:

  • Our Directors;

  • Our current Members, and Membership applicants;  

  • Our current and future Collaborators, stakeholders, business associates and training providers, together with their employees[1];

  • Individuals employed by or associated with other Jobs & Skills Councils;

  • Third Party Suppliers and their employees;

  • Students (including minors where we have express consent);

  • Employees, prospective employees and contractors; and other people who meet us.

4. What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?  

Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. Examples of Personal Information include names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers.

FSO collects your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing its services to you. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. When FSO collects Personal Information, FSO will, where applicable and possible, explain to you why FSO is collecting the Personal Information and how FSO plans to use it.

You may unsubscribe from our mailing lists at any time by contacting FSO in writing or clicking Unsubscribe in our electronic marketing messages.

5. What are the categories of Personal Information we collect and hold?  

In general, the Personal Information we collect and hold may include:

  • your name, address and contact details (e.g. phone number, email address, postal address);

  • information about your personal circumstances (e.g., gender], occupation);

  • information about your identity (e.g. date of birth, country of birth, passport details, visa details, drivers licence);

  • information about your employment (e.g. job title, work history, referee comments, remuneration);

  • information about your background (e.g. educational qualifications, the languages you speak and your English proficiency);

  • the results of Working with Children and Police Checks;

  • information, which is formally requested by the Commonwealth Government;

  • information which assists us in meeting our legal obligations to you or to the Commonwealth Government (including the Department of Education and Workplace Relations (DEWR));

  • website usage data (which may include your IP address, how you accessed our website and your wider geographic location); and

  • any other information which assists us in conducting our business including providing and marketing our services.

Note, the Privacy Act defines Sensitive Information to include information or opinion about such things as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record, or health information.

Sensitive information will be used by FSO only:

  • for the primary purpose for which it was obtained

  • for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose

  • where required or authorised by law

  • with the consent of the person it identifies

6. How do we collect + hold information? 

We will only ever collect personal information by lawful and fair means. We may collect information in the following ways:

  • from you directly when you provide your details to us including, for example, for our newsletters or other updates about us or our services and projects, or when you participate in one of our surveys;

  • from you indirectly through emails, forms, face-to-face meetings, registration and attendance at events, business cards and telephone conversations and through use of the services and facilities available through our website and our social media channels; and

  • from third parties including, for example, DEWR, business partners, sub-contractors, advertising networks, analytics providers, search information providers, third parties who analyse traffic at our website (which may involve the use of cookies), third party blogs and social media channels or an employment reference from another person.

7. Why do we collect, hold + disclose information?

We may collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the purposes described in this Policy or disclosed to you on our website. For example, we may use your information:

  • to undertake policy development, research, consultation and evaluation;

  • to provide you with newsletters and other information and updates about us and our services and about how you might get involved in our upcoming projects, or other information that we reasonably believe may be of interest to you;

  • when we engage with you via social media;

  • to administer our website and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes;

  • to improve our website to ensure that content is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer;

  • to assess your application for employment opportunities;

  • to assess your application for business opportunities;

  • to enable the performance of contracts with you;

  • to conduct events for which you have registered;

  • to respond to your comments and questions and provide customer service;

  • to undertake surveys;

  • as part of our efforts to keep our website safe and secure;

  • to measure or understand the effectiveness of our engagement with you and others to you;

  • to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our website about goods or services that may interest you or them; and

  • for other business requirements. 

8. Who do we disclose your information to? 

Your Personal Information may be disclosed in particular circumstances, which include:

  • to third parties, where you consent to the use or disclosure; and

  • where required or authorised by law

We do not sell, re-use, rent, lease, loan, trade or otherwise divulge the information we have been provided to anyone unless you specifically consent to provide such information to a third party. Your Personal Information is not used for any other purpose.

9. Will we disclose your information to anyone overseas?

  • If DEWR has given us approval to do so, we may disclose your personal information to the following overseas recipients:

    • to other companies or individuals who assist us in providing services or who perform functions on our behalf (such as third-party service providers);

    • to anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it; and

    • to anyone else where we are required to do so by law.

  • We are not responsible for ensuring that overseas recipients handle your Personal Information in compliance with Australian privacy laws, however, where practicable in the circumstances, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that any overseas recipients handle your Personal Information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.

10. Links to external sites

Our website may include links to other websites. We are not responsible for the content and privacy practices of other websites. We recommend that you examine each website’s privacy policy separately.

We also use social networking services such as LinkedIn and YouTube to engage with you. When you engage with us using these services, we may collect your Personal Information to communicate with you. Note: These social networking services may also handle your Personal Information for their own purposes in accordance with their own privacy policies, which you will be able access on their websites.

11. Security of Personal Information?

We will take reasonable steps to protect Personal Information that we collect and ensure that Personal Information we collect is treated securely and in accordance with this Policy.

We store Personal Information in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

When Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it, unless we are required to store it for a particular period required by law.

We also take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect is complete, accurate and up to date, although the accuracy of that information depends on the information you provide. 

In the event of any loss, or unauthorized access or disclosure of your Personal Information that is likely to result in serious harm to you, in accordance with our obligations under the Notifiable Breaches scheme of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), we will investigate and notify you and the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as practicable of becoming aware of the loss, or unauthorized access or disclosure. When notifying you, we will outline the steps that will be undertaken in response to the breach.

12. How can you access your personal information?

Subject to the exceptions set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you may seek access to and correction of the personal information which we hold about you by contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@futureskillsorganisation.com.au.

We will require you to verify your identity and to specify what information you require. If a fee is charged for providing access, you will be advised of the likely cost in advance.

 13. Can you opt out of direct marketing communications?

You can opt out of receiving marketing messages from us at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions on electronic marketing communications or by contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@futureskillsorganisation.com.au.

14. How can you make a privacy related complaint?

If you have any questions about privacy-related issues or wish to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles or the handling of your personal information by us, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@futureskillsorganisation.com.au . We may ask you to lodge your complaint in writing. 

Any complaint will be investigated by the Privacy Officer, and you will be notified of the making of a decision in relation to your complaint as soon as is practicable after it has been made, usually within 30 days. If we are unable to satisfactorily resolve your concerns about our handling of your personal information, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

Tel: 1300 363 992 www.oaic.gov.au

15. Contact details

Questions, comments and requests regarding this Policy are welcomed and should be addressed to at privacy@futureskillsorganisation.com.au.

Our registered address is Level 8, 460 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000.

[1] As that term is defined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)