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Awards | Conference | Keynote Speakers | Registration | Nominations | Workshops | Sponsors |
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Diane Lawson Chief Executive Officer, Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council Di Lawson has held the position of CEO of the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council for over 5 years. With a Masters Degree in Education and degrees in Women’s Studies and Applied Science, Di is very pro-education and aims to inspire others to a life of learning. Di has held national leadership roles in learning and business development for over 15 years in Finance, Business and Health and she presently sits on a number of national workforce committees some of which are ministerial appointments. Di has an extensive research, publications and consultancy portfolio including the conduct and management of a range of national workforce development, competency and training projects. In addition, she has written and co-authored several discussion papers; a gamut of articles published in the likes of Australian Hospital and has contributed chapters to several academic textbooks. Di is frequently invited to speak on community services and health industry trends and issues in particular on workforce issues.
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Fran Thorn Fran Thorn was appointed Secretary of the Department of Human Services in March 2007. As Secretary, Fran is responsible for a portfolio which encompasses health, community services, housing, aged care and disability, with a total budget of $12.45 billion (as at 2007-08), representing approximately 40% of the Victorian State Government outlay, as well as portfolio assets of $21.5 billion. Between 2005 and early 2007, Fran was Secretary of the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Immediately prior to this role she was with the Department of Sustainability and Environment as Under Secretary, Portfolio Performance. From 2002 to mid 2004 she was a Deputy Secretary of the Policy and Cabinet Group in the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Between 1996 and 2001 Fran was a Director of KPMG Consulting Pty Ltd, in Australia and then Hong Kong. Whilst at KPMG, Fran primarily consulted to the education sector and Government, providing advice on policy implementation, program evaluation strategy, costing and refocussing service delivery and future directions at Government and the funded institution level. Prior to joining KPMG, Fran had 17 years experience in public sector administration, with approximately half of that in post compulsory education and training, where she held senior management roles with major policy development, budget, staffing, program management and strategic planning functions. She has been actively involved in managing implementation of reforms in government service delivery in education and training at a system-wide level and in the management of human resources at a public sector-wide level.
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 Cath Smith Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Service The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) is the peak body for the social and community services sector in Victoria and advocates for the development of a sustainable, fair and equitable society. VCOSS members reflect a wide diversity with members ranging from large charities, sector peak organisations, small community services, advocacy groups and individuals active in social policy debates. VCOSS has five strategic objectives: to advocate for social change outcomes, to build the public profile of issues and responses to disadvantage, to build a strong community sector to lead social change, to build alliances to sustain outcomes, and to run a sustainable organisation. Cath has been CEO of Victorian Council of Social Service for nearly six years, following a wide range of roles in the non-government sector over 25 years with a background of an honours degree in environmental science. She is keen to help strengthen the community sector’s voice in public policy debates, and in relationships with the private and philanthropic sectors, government and the broader community. Cath co-chairs the DHS-Human Services Partnership Implementation Committee, sat on the Community Building Ministerial Advisory Committee chaired by the Hon Joan Kirner; the Ministerial Taskforce for Access to Dwellings in 2006 and continues to participate on the Board of the Australian Council for Social Service (ACOSS) and in various other committees and working groups on behalf of VCOSS. Before VCOSS, Cath spent most of the 1990s working in international development; playing various senior roles in advocacy, operations, marketing and communications management at Community Aid Abroad (now Oxfam Australia). Prior to that, from 1985 to 1991, she worked in policy, fundraising and campaigning roles for the environment movement.
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She is currently working on a major study into childcare for the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research. Prior to joining the WRC, Justine worked for four years as an industrial organiser and trainer for a federal public sector union and for seven years as a researcher with ABC Radio. Justine has degrees in History, Australian Studies and Teaching. Her areas of expertise include: Australian trade unions and industrial organising; agreement making and the federal industrial relations system; contractor safety management; skill formation in the 'new economy'; and women and WorkChoices.
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Rod Peadon Rod Peadon, Learning and Development Consultant, North Coast Area Health Service in northern NSW and E-Learning Consultant in Coffs Harbour. Rod has worked in the Public Health Sector in Rural NSW for a number of years and as a Military Nurse for 10yrs. In 1999, he worked as the Clinical Nurse Consultant for Critical Care and Emergency Services, located in Orange NSW. Rod experienced the tyranny of distance and training difficulties of rural and remote sites, resulting in his early tinkering with Computer Based Learning for Health Care workers. In 2004 after moving to the beautiful North Coast, Rod was successful in his application to the Flexible Learning Leaders program of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework and again in 2006 was successful in securing an Industry Engagement project with the Framework for a whole of health project around Violence in health. In his current role Rod provides instructional design support to education development and is the e-learning consultant responsible for the administration and management of the Moodle LMS/CMS within the North Coast Area health Service. Additionally Rod is currently Project Manager for the NSW Health’s Medical e-portal, an online orientation project for medical officers employed in NSW Health. |
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Justine Evesson