Amy

For over 14 years, my professional journey within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) TAFE sector has provided me with a purpose that aligns deeply with my values: equitable education. Throughout my career I have worked with Employer Based Training, Customer Service, Academic Systems and Support, the challenges of Staff Training, and more recently Project Management, and have in each role, noted that my heart has always been in education. I am passionate about dismantling barriers and ensuring that education is not just a privilege but a right for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. My persistent pursuit of subject knowledge isn't just about professional growth; it's about unlocking doors to possibilities for all staff, knowing that by having a positive effect on them and how they show up in the work environment, is then extended to our students. I love a challenge, and as a Project Manager, who is also operational, with a focus on systems and platforms from TechnologyOne and Microsoft, I continually seek to create more inclusive systems, processes, and user experiences for both internal and external clients. I am a strong proponent of knowledge sharing and want to empower individuals and teams to not just follow procedure, but to evolve and to constantly be curious always asking “why”. I find my passion and purpose within my career by breaking down walls, fostering diversity, and finding the potential in every individual, irrespective of their intersections or challenges.

Embracing my identity as an Autistic, ADHD, multiply disabled individual; my work journey isn’t just about ticking off accomplishments. I hold a personal commitment to making sure that everyone, no matter their differences, or challenges faced, feels included.

Throughout my career within the VET TAFE sector, I have experienced both overt and covert discrimination and microaggressions, which only worked to fire my passion for change even more so. I don’t want the next generation entering the workforce or any education environment to have to experience the challenges I, and many others, have faced.

During my secondment with the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD), I kickstarted conversations with the Director General, Human Resources teams, and the ‘Young Professionals Program Committee’ on Disability Recruitment best practices with a focus around neurodivergence. The tangible outcome of this effort was the successful hiring of two (2) individuals with varying disability as well as the discussion of initiating a Disability Employee Network (DEN), something I believe all organisations should want to create.

My aim is to constantly foster inclusivity and strive for meaningful change within the work and educational environment. I want to ensure that these are safe spaces where diversity thrives, amplifying the potential for every individual.

• Lived experience
• Project management
• Leadership
• Business analysis
• End user system support
• Staff training
• Data validation and reporting
• Systems testing/quality assurance
• Microsoft Dynamics 365
• TechnologyOne Student Management Systems