It’s been another eventful fortnight at the VDC as we welcomed four new Directors to the Board as well as a newly appointed Chairperson in Susan Christophers. Susan brings vast experience in leading state and national policy development in international education and is also the current Chair of the Adult Community and Further Education Board in Victoria.
With Lisa Line, the CEO of The Gordon TAFE in Geelong, Kirsten Bright a Senior Consultant at PhillipsKPA Consulting, Mel Koumides, the Director of leading RTO Academia International and National Chair of ACPET, and Mr Brian Henderson, Consultant and former Branch Secretary of the Australian Education Union (Vic Branch), the new members of the Board bring an impressive and diverse range of expertise to the VDC.
It was a pleasure to be part of the Victorian Training Awards last Friday 26 August at the Palladium at Crown, Melbourne. Congratulations to Box Hill Institute Group on winning the Victorian Large Training Provider of the year award, which is proudly sponsored by the VDC.
This week peaks with the VDC 2016 Teaching and Learning Conference #VDCTLC16. This is the eleventh year of the conference and the third occasion that we have held the event at the RACV Resort at Torquay, the perfect location to get away from daily routine and reflect on the VET teaching vocation.
The conference theme this year is Full STEAM Ahead, being a play on words for the popular acronym that describes the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Our spin on this, which has driven the conference program, is Strategy, Teaching, Engagement, Assessment and Managing in the context of VET delivery.
The VDC team has worked hard to put together what I think is a most engaging program. With animated organisational change leader Donna George as Master of Ceremonies, key note speakers Dr Mark Strom and Joyce Seitzinger providing exciting insights into innovative design for learners, and award winning British comedian Jeff Green providing the entertainment at the conference dinner, what’s not to like?
The best part about this conference is that it focuses on what I think is the most important piece of the puzzle in education, a happy, engaged educator with the skills, tools and support to transfer knowledge to the student.
Martin Powell
Chief Executive Officer
