AITD has six Divisional Councils and each Divisional Council member is elected by the members within their Division. Elections are held each year and the period in office runs from 1 September to 31 August each year.
You may apply throughout the year to be seconded to your local Divisional Council if there are vacancies on the Council. If there are no vacancies you may be added to a waiting list to be considered for secondment should a vacancy occur during the Council term. Applications for secondment should be made using this form with reference to the Divisional Council skills checklist.
The six divisional councils are:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Queensland/Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Victoria/Tasmania
- Western Australia
What does an AITD Divisional Council do?
Each Divisional Council plans and organises professional development events for AITD members, providing opportunities for networking and support among members. Divisional Councils typically meet monthly (face-to-face or virtually) to plan a program of activities to support members in their division.
Activities include:
- Organising regular networking/professional development functions
- Participating in monthly divisional council meetings
- Promoting the benefits of AITD membership to individual networks and colleagues, students and industry groups.
Why would I want to join an AITD Divisional Council?
AITD exists for - and because of - its members, so your ideas can add real value to the organisation and it is a fantastic way to get more from your membership.
You will have the opportunity to broaden your network and increase your profile within the learning and development community, as well as benefit from discounts on AITD courses and events. Once you have been a Divisional Council member for twelve consecutive months, you are also eligible to nominate for election to the AITD Board of Directors.
How many Divisional Council members are there?
There are six Divisional Councils in Australia: Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria/Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland/Northern Territory.
The maximum number of members on each Divisional Council is ten (10). According to the AITD by-laws (5.11), existing Board members continue (unelected) as a member of their Divisional Council during their three-year term on the Board of Directors.
This means that at the time of the Divisional Council nominations, there are nine (9) positions available on each Divisional Council as one (1) place is reserved for the existing AITD Board member.
How do I become a member of a Divisional Council?
Nominations for Council positions take place in July every year. The volume of nominees determines whether an election is required:
- If there are nine (9) or fewer nominations from eligible AITD members, all eligible nominees will be appointed to the Divisional Council without holding a formal election.
- If there are more than nine (9) eligible people nominated for positions on a Divisional Council, a formal election will be held and all current financial members within your division will be asked to vote. This election will take place in August.
All new Divisional Council members take up their positions from 1 September. The new Divisional Council members will then determine which Council member will become the President of their Division and appoint any other Divisional office holders, as required.
You may apply throughout the year to be seconded to your local Divisional Council if there are vacancies on the Council. If there are no vacancies you may be added to a waiting list to be considered for secondment should a vacancy occur during the Council term.
Can I join a Divisional Council if I live in a regional or country area?
Divisional Council meetings and most AITD events take place in capital cities where the bulk of AITD’s members are located. However, Councils also endeavour to support events in regional areas, so regional or remote members are encouraged to join Council and actively promote AITD in their area. Your involvement in Divisional Council meetings is likely to be via telephone, webinar or other virtual means (e.g. Skype/FaceTime).
How much time do I need to commit to being a Divisional Council member?
All Councils are made up of volunteers who give up their time to attend Council meetings and participate in events. The success of each Council depends on the commitment and reliability of its members.
The Divisional Council year runs from 1 September to 31 August. During this period, Council members are expected to commit to attend regular (usually monthly) Council meetings, participating in local events (approximately every six to eight weeks) and contributing to other Council responsibilities.
This may mean volunteering approximately 5-6 hours a month to Council activities.
To discuss membership benefits or learn more, click contact us or call us on +61 (0)2 9211 9414.