AUSTSWIM, Life Saving Victoria (LSV) and Swim Coaches and Teachers Australia trainers will come together this week for a joint professional development day in Melbourne, marking the first major initiative delivered under a newly formalised partnership between AUSTSWIM and LSV.
The Trainers and Assessors Professional Development Day, held at Life Saving Victoria on Thursday 26 February, will bring together 49 trainers and assessors from across Victoria. The event represents a significant step forward in strengthening collaboration across the aquatic education sector and supporting the people responsible for training Australia’s future swim teachers.
The professional development day is the first activity delivered under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AUSTSWIM and Life Saving Victoria, which commenced on 1 January 2026. The two-year year agreement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening workforce capability, improving consistency across training practices, and enhancing swimming and water safety education outcomes for Victorian communities.
While much attention in the aquatic industry focuses on swim teachers, the partnership recognises the critical role trainers and assessors play in shaping the quality and confidence of the workforce entering the industry.
By bringing trainers together across organisations, the event provides an opportunity to share knowledge, align approaches and build stronger professional connections across the sector.
AUSTSWIM Chief Executive Officer Brad Maunsell said the collaboration demonstrates the value of industry organisations working together toward shared outcomes.
“High quality trainers and assessors are essential to developing confident and capable swim teachers. This partnership allows us to combine expertise and deliver meaningful professional learning opportunities that strengthen the entire aquatic workforce.”
The MoU establishes a framework for AUSTSWIM and LSV to work collaboratively across a range of initiatives, including:
Life Saving Victoria Chief Executive Officer Cath Greaves said the partnership reflects a shared vision for the future of swimming and water safety education.
“By working closely with AUSTSWIM, we can enhance workforce capability, improve consistency, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for communities across Victoria.”
The joint Trainers Day highlights a growing focus across the industry on collaboration rather than competition, recognising that strong partnerships are essential to addressing workforce challenges and improving water safety outcomes.
For AUSTSWIM, the initiative forms part of a broader commitment to strengthening the national training workforce and supporting those who educate the next generation of swim teachers. It has recenty recruited 30 new trainers bringing its training workforce across Australia to 110 - and still growing. You can register your interest in becoming a trainer with AUSTWIM via trainers@austswim.com.au
As organisations across the aquatic sector continue to work more closely together, initiatives like this demonstrate how partnership driven action can help ensure more Australians have access to high quality swimming and water safety education.
Read more about the partnership at Australasian Leisure Management News