Details below on Featured Speakers :

Kay Giles

Institute Director, SkillsTech Australia

As Institute Director, Kay is responsible for the overall operation of the institute. Kay joined SkillsTech Australia as the Director, Metropolitan Operations in October 2008 to oversee the delivery of programs and services in the metropolitan area.

Kay has spent the whole of her working life in vocational education and training and has a passion for the contribution that VET can make to the success of the economy, industry, enterprises and individuals. Prior to commencing with SkillsTech Australia, Kay was Executive Director, Information Technology and Product Services which had responsibility for Queensland Skills Plan initiatives including establishing Lead Institutes, implementing a new role for Product Services, developing a professional development strategy for Queensland VET practitioners, upgrading TAFE ICT infrastructure and implementing the TAFE-wide Learning Management System.

Kay was Institute Director at Wide Bay TAFE for a decade and Institute Director at the Open Learning Institute for a year. She has also held positions of Regional Director and various appointments in State Office overviewing apprenticeship and traineeship operations, equity and international activities.

The Institute Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer, Office of Training Queensland and Regional Operations.

Rebecca Biazos

Rebecca Biazos has over 12 years in management, marketing and policy development in Australia’s international education industry. She is well known for her passion and commitment to building new models of sustainable international education practice. She has experience in working all three levels of government with roles spanning industry development, economic development, international relations and marketing. Rebecca commenced her international career on the Japan Exchange Teaching Program where she lived and worked in Miyazaki ken from 1994-1996.

On her return to Australia she played a leading role in the economic development initiatives for Gold Coast City Council and in 2004 she moved to Queensland Department of Education and Training as the Director VET Export Office. From 2007-2009 Rebecca held the position of Director International Engagement for TAFE Directors Australia, the national peak body representing Australia’s 58 TAFE and technology institutes. In February 2009 Rebecca was appointed as Director International with Gold Coast Institute of TAFE. In 2010 Rebecca has returned to study and is focusing on her Phd on the topic of international students and their role in Australia public diplomacy.

Rebecca holds positions on the Board’s of the International Education Association of Australia and Queensland Overseas Foundation. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of International Business Relations and Master of International Relations and Graduate Certificate in Higher Education.

Becky Saunders

Becky has worked in the VET sector for over 17 years as a lecturer, manager and professional development consultant. She worked for four years as a Senior Project Manager at the Department of Training and Workforce Development in WA where she designed, delivered and managed state and national professional development initiatives.

Becky now runs her own consultancy business working with government departments, businesses, schools, colleges and universities in the areas of Instructional Intelligence, behaviour management and cooperative practices.

Based at Murdoch University Becky teaches in learning and assessment theory and practice and is trying to complete her PhD in Instructional Intelligence, powerful models of professional development educators and systemic educational change.

Rob Stowell

Director of Learning Australia.

In recent years, Rob has undertaken a range of key national assessment and quality assurance assignments in Australia and overseas including the Quality of Assessment Practices [2009], Alternative Frameworks for the Recognition of Workplace Training [2008], and Review of the Trial of the AQTF Excellence Criteria [2008] for the National Quality Council in Australia and the World Bank Review of the TVET system in Swaziland [2008-9].

Most recently, Rob has been working with groups of lead VET practitioners in both Queensland and South Australia on ways of incorporating Assessment for Learning principles into VET programs. This work has focused on developing practical ideas for strengthening the relationships between teaching, learning and assessment in VET.

Rob's presentation will focus on this work and the potential which Assessment for Learning has to improve learner performance.

Tiga Bayles

Born in 1953, Tiga Bayles lived in Sydney in the 1970s, where he became prominent as an outspoken activist and supporter of Aboriginal land rights. His successful activism led Tiga to become one of the key figures in the establishment of the Aboriginal tent Embassy in Canberra in 1972.

Tiga is one of the founders of Radio Redfern in Sydney, a Koori community radio station.  A highlight of the Radio Redfern broadcasts was their coverage of the 1988 Bicentenary, with Tiga and his team covering the event from an Indigenous perspective.

Moving to Brisbane, Tiga worked with his Uncle, Ross Watson, at Radio 98.9fm where he took over as General Manager and guided the radio station to its current position as the largest Indigenous radio station in Australia. Here, he established Triple A Training, a nationally recognised training organisation that delivers certificate level training in communications and broadcasting to Indigenous students. Resulting from his accomplished work at Radio 98.9fm, Tiga led the station to winning a "Deadly" award for Broadcaster of the Year in 1998.

Tiga has held many community and council positions. He is currently Chairperson of the National Indigenous Radio Service, he served as Chairperson of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council from 1987 to 1990 and is President of the Brisbane Aboriginal and Islander Independent School known as 'the Murri School' which he helped to found and develop. Tiga is also currently the National Ambassador for the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.