The Community Colleges Australia (CCA) annual conference runs this year in Melbourne on Tuesday 25 July, Wednesday 26 July and Thursday 27 July. Here are the “14 reasons why” you must attend.
1 Interested in the future of national and Victorian VET, and what it means for community providers? Commonwealth Vocational Education and Skills Minister Karen Andrews opens the conference on Tuesday evening, and Victorian Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney opens day two on Thursday morning.
2 It’s in Melbourne. Ranked “the world’s most liveable city” for six years in a row, beating out Vienna, Vancouver and Toronto. Home of Australian Rules football, the National Gallery of Victoria – Australia’s most popular, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and great coffee.
3 We convene in two great hotels: the iconic Victorian-era Hotel Windsor (est. 1883) and the award-winning conference facilities of Citadines on Bourke. They are just 200 metres apart in Melbourne’s dynamic “east end”, a diverse shopping and entertainment precinct.
4 Professor Peter Noonan, one of Australia’s most influential shapers of VET and tertiary education policy, reviews the history of VET funding and where we are heading.
5 Speakers from Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan report on the latest in their regional city. Michigan, remember that state? It was one of three that made the difference, voting to put Donald J. Trump in the White House. You don’t get much closer to the centre of American politics than Grand Rapids.
6 Catch up on the latest on VET regulation and RTO auditing with the Hon Michael Lavarch AO, ASQA Commissioner for Risk, Intelligence and Regulatory Support; Lynn Glover, Director of the Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority (VRQA); ASQA auditor Arvid Yaganegi; and more.
7 Meet the best selection of service suppliers for the community education sector ever assembled: our exhibitors and sponsors. Talk with them in person. Get free pens.
8 Your choice of two pre-conference intensive all-afternoon workshops on Tuesday 25 July to get up-to-speed on “Future Opportunities: From Local to Global“ with VET entrepreneur Wendy Perry, and “Building Digital Capacity“, with Steven Speldewinde, Director of Digital and Innovation, The Social Deck.
9 What does your organisation’s not-for-profit status mean? Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissioner Susan Pascoe AM, and Philanthropy Australia CEO Sarah Davies help us to unravel regulations, latest trends and opportunities.
10 The CCA Gala Dinner is famous for its warmth, entertainment and fun. Click here to watch a clip of last year’s Gala Dinner guest speaker.
11 Committed to new funding for the community education sector? We are. Our friends from Per Capita will help us work out the real return on investment in Australian community providers, releasing our survey results.
12 Interested in starting up an independent secondary school? Almost one-quarter of CCA members have done so already. Come talk with organisations that have already “been there” and “done that”.
13 Like us, you probably think corporate governance is an essential part of making your organisation work. Our experts will help you.
14 Have fun: “The more that you read the more things you will learn. The more that you learn the more places you will go.” So says Dr Seuss (also known as Theodor Geisel), American children's author.
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Would you like more information? Email us at admin@cca.edu.au or go to our conference website.
Register now. You won’t regret it.
