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A National Skills Week event
AEST 12 pm – 1 pm Monday 23 August
Our Mining, Human Services and Digital Skills Organisation Pilots have been at the forefront of Australia’s response to the nation’s changing workforce needs, working with their industries to rethink skills needs and find innovative solutions to meet the current, emerging, and future workforce needs of our nation.
12 months on from their first National Skills Week event, members of the Skills Organisation Pilots came together again to share their insights and discuss the projects they are leading to respond to the skills and training needs of their industries. In this special one-hour livestreamed event find out how the Skills Organisation Pilots are strengthening Australia’s VET system and preparing our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.
Patrick Kidd OBE OAM
Digital Skills Organisation - Chief Executive Officer
Patrick commenced in the position as the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Skills Organisation in October 2020. Prior to his appointment, Patrick worked for Infosys, where he led the program team implementing a large-scale digital transformation program into Services Australia.
From November 2016 to October 2020, Patrick was the Chief Executive Officer for the Invictus Games Sydney. Patrick brings significant training expertise to the DSO, following a thirty-year career in the British Army (1985-2005) and the Australian Defence Force (2005-2015).
Jodi Schmidt
Human Services Skills Organisation – Chief Executive Officer
Jodi is an experienced CEO with a track record of successful business transformation, improving profitability and significantly enhancing shareholder value. Jodi has over the last 3 years been consulting across a number of industry sectors including education and training, property and real estate, manufacturing, human services, ICT and digital businesses in the areas of strategic planning, CEO/executive coaching, leadership and culture development and business performance and advisory.
Jodi has had extensive experience in the Vocational, Education and Training sector over the last 15 years. She served as the Deputy Director-General, Training and Employment with the Queensland government, and then as the inaugural chief executive officer of TAFE Queensland, leading the reform and amalgamation of TAFE institutes in Queensland and establishing it as one consolidated commercial entity. She also served as the Chair of the National Education and Foundation Skills – Industry Reference Committee (IRC), and has been a member of a number of national review boards and expert panels.
Dr Gavin Lind
Mining Skills Organisation - Interim Chief Executive Officer (and MSOP Working Group Chair)
Gavin is an accomplished academic and minerals industry executive. Prior to his appointment as Interim CEO of the Mining Skills Organisation Pilot, Gavin spent over a decade in minerals policy and advocacy as the General Manager for Safety, Workforce and Innovation at the Minerals Council of Australia.
In 2013, Gavin was awarded the LH Martin Award for Excellence in Higher Education Leadership for his work promoting minerals education in Australia. Gavin has worked professionally for industry, government and academia in South Africa and Australia. He is also an internationally touring stand-up comedian in his spare time.
Catherine McGrath
Moderator
Catherine McGrath is a policy, engagement, and advocacy expert and in-demand facilitator. She is a giant of the Australian media and the founder of the Business Speaking training program that support and train professional speakers across the country. Catherine also provides media training to leaders and executives in the private sector and Government agencies.
During three decades of reporting, Catherine was political editor for both the ABC and SBS television and was the ABC’s South East Asia Correspondent based in Singapore. Catherine is a recipient of the Centenary of Federation Medal for Services to Society through Journalism and the ABC Reuters Foundation Scholarship to study international affairs at Oxford University.