VET NATIONAL TEACHING &
LEARNING CONFERENCE 2024

Dr Karen O’Reilly-Briggs is an International Specialised Skills Institute Victorian Skills Authority Fellow, Secretary of the Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), and trade-qualified industry-experienced metal fabrication and pressure vessel welding tradesperson. She has extensive industry experience in manufacturing and engineering, and worked as a trade teacher in Victorian TAFEs for approximately 10 years before receiving a full time PhD scholarship to research the impact of national training reform on the teaching and learning of engineering trades in Victoria. Her research interests include VET, the teaching and learning of craft trades and apprenticeships, VET teacher education and the status of VET is society. Karen currently works as the ‘Academic Course Manager – Education’ at Box Hill Institute where she is responsible for developing, teaching and managing programs designed to upskill teachers, trainers and lecturers in Higher Education and VET.