Craig Randazzo

Craig Randazzo is a huge supporter of the GTO sector having just finished ten years as CEO of Skillset, a large GTO based in the Central West of NSW. During his time at Skillset, Craig set up the region’s first Special Assistance High School, Skillset Senior College, catering for young people in years 10 to 12 who are unable to complete their schooling in a mainstream environment. The College now has two campuses, Bathurst and Dubbo and has graduated over 550 students since inception, and employs 49 specialist teachers and support staff.

His latest enterprise has seen him assisting the not-for-profit sector as Principal Consultant with For Purpose Consulting. Craig has tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Education and Management and is passionate about the life-changing power vocational education and skill development can bring to young people.

Katie Dean

Katie is Head of Fixed Income and Currency with AustralianSuper.

In this role, Katie leads the team responsible for generating positive returns for AustralianSuper Members through the active management of the fixed interest and currency portfolios. This includes a wide range of investments across sovereign bonds, credit and currencies for developed and emerging market economies.

Katie has over twenty years of experience across economies, financial markets and the investment industry, having held various senior positions including Head of Fixed Income and Currency Overlay Strategies at AustralianSuper and Head of Australian Macroeconomies and Head of Industry Research at ANZ. Katie commenced her career at Commonwealth Treasury and holds a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) from James Cook University.

Professor Arnold Dix

Professor Arnold Dix is hailed as a hero around the world. Professor Dix’s unwavering bravery and expertise in handling critical situations catapulted him into the biggest feel-good story of 2023, the rescue of 41 miners in the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in the Himalayan Mountains in India.

Our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese honoured his efforts in Federal Parliament describing him as a truly great Australian.

Arnold Dix is not only a world renown tunnel engineering expert, he’s a Barrister, scientist and humanitarian.

Professor Dix made a promise that 41 trapped miners would all come home safely and he delivered.

An incredible man with an incredible story, Professor Arnold Dix.

Trevor Gauld

Professor Arnold Dix is hailed as a hero around the world. Trevor Gauld has extensive experience in leadership and management, coupled with a strong focus on creating productive, fair and healthy workplaces. He is deeply passionate about the opportunity lifelong learning provides to working people and is a constant advocate for improving access to quality apprenticeships and training opportunities.

Throughout his career Trevor has worked across the electrical industry in power distribution and transmission, maintenance, and construction, firstly as a tradesperson and later, prior to his appointment to Jobs and Skills Australia, through advocating for electrical workers as National Assistant Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union.

Trevor has led numerous bodies in advising on skills, training, and worker’s rights. He has held numerous Board Directorships and committee positions, providing strategic advice on skills, training, worker entitlements, immigration and Australia’s trade agenda as well as detailed analysis of climate and clean energy policy.

Phil Loveder

Phil Loveder is the Executive Manager, Inform and Engage at the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in Australia. The NCVER is Australia’s premier vocational education and training research and statistics agency.

Phil has almost 40 years’ experience in educational research, business development and in the commercialisation of knowledge-based services in VET and higher education. He has a particular interest in researching industry models of education and in the funding and financing of training. Phil was recently the lead expert for UNESCO’s Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET New Qualifications and Competencies (NQC) policy project and was research leader of a major international study on measuring the enterprise returns to investment in training. He is also the regional coordinator of UNESCO’s UNEVOC program in the Pacific Island region.

He was formerly an adviser to the APEC integrated referencing project for skills recognition and mobility and consultant to the Indonesian Department of State Development (BAPPENAS) Labour Market Forecasting for Education Policy project. He was also lead facilitator of an Australian government funded management immersion program for senior research and analytics staff of the National Skills Research Division (NSRD) of the NSDA (New Delhi) and the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) in Hyderabad.

Phil has previous experience in evaluation and was formerly a consultant to the review of the Australian government’s National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions (NPYAT) and the Reframing the Future e-VET project.

In addition, he maintains an interest in technology education and recently authored papers on vocational education and the innovation system, new qualifications and competencies and Apprenticeships and Industry 4.0.

Dr Rocco Guarnaccia

Rocco Guarnaccia has been actively engaged in the vocational education and training (VET) sector for over 30 years, serving as a teacher/trainer, manager, senior executive, and co-founder of a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Throughout his career, he has held roles across government (TAFE), university, private/corporate, and non-profit sectors, contributing to the development and delivery of VET programs.

In addition to his professional roles, Rocco has served on the Melbourne Graduate School of Education Research Committee and was a member of the Victorian State Committee for ACPET before its transition to ITECA.

His academic research includes work on advancing interprofessional cultural competence training in allied health programs at The University of Melbourne. He was also involved in the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program: ENLIVEN Policy Trial Review – Transition to Work Community of Practice with the Melbourne Graduate School of Education.

Rocco recently completed a Doctor of Education at The University of Melbourne, focusing on the organisational sustainability of commercial for-profit training providers within the VET sector. His research explored the pedagogical, governance, and business factors influencing the success or failure of training providers. He also holds a Master of Education, a Postgraduate Diploma of Education and Training, and a Bachelor of Education and Training from The University of Melbourne.

Currently, Rocco is the Director of Vocational Education and Training at VETASSESS, part of Bendigo Kangan Institute of TAFE. He is responsible for overseeing key areas such as Skills Recognition for Trades, Job Ready Workplace Assessment for Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) under the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), and various domestic and international VET projects. Additionally, he is a casual lecturer in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne.

VETASSESS is Australia’s leading assessment-only Registered Training Organisation (RTO No. 21097), with over 25 years of experience delivering assessment services worldwide to individuals, training providers, industry groups, and government agencies. It assesses more than 360 professional and 27 trade occupations for individuals seeking skills assessment.