People

Adrian Stephens, Director

Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Education

Background

Following a period of nearly 20 years of secondary teaching and working within the Victorian Ministry of Education and its agencies Adrian held a number of senior executive positions in the Victorian Department of Education and Training from 1994 - 1999 when he joined the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), an Australian Government statutory authority. He worked with ANTA for nearly 6 years as a Director, Group Manager and Acting General Manager.

In these roles Adrian had significant senior executive experience in the area of school education - particularly in the areas of school reorganisation, curriculum development and Vocational Education in Schools - and in the Vocational Education and Training sector at the national level. At ANTA he had prime national responsibility for developing policy advice for Ministers in the areas of apprenticeships and traineeships and for Vocational Education and Training in Schools.

Following the closure of ANTA in mid-2005 he established Escalier Consulting Pty Ltd, an education and training consultancy business. From 2005 until 2012 Escalier Consulting was directly commissioned to undertake reviews and projects for a range of Australian and State and Territory Government departments and agencies, industry and community organizations, TAFE organisations, and for Local Government Authorities. In addition, he had direct VET provider experience as the Director of the TAFE Institute element within Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory; and worked directly for a local government authority on a state government place-based initiative in Victoria to regenerate a disadvantaged community. Over that time he also worked in conjunction with other organizations undertaking national and State reviews in the VET sector e.g. as an expert adviser with KPMG during 2005-2007.

Philippa McLean, Director

Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts
Graduate Diploma of Education
TAE70111 Vocational Graduate Certificate in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice
TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Advanced Diploma in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice in VET
Graduate Certificate in TESOL
Graduate Diploma in Women's Studies
Course in Assessment of Informal Learning

Background

Philippa has extensive and successful experience in the Vocational Education and Training sector and is highly regarded as a Language, Literacy and Numeracy expert. She was a member of the consortium that developed the original ACSF in 2008 and in 2012 was the project manager for the revision of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) for DEEWR which resulted in the publication of  ACSF 2012 and the development of the ACSF Pre Level 1 Supplement. The ACSF is ground breaking work as a significant national resource which provides the validated framework of national benchmarks for the identification and description of core skill performance (for Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy) for the Australian population and is the key component of Foundation Skills.

As a direct result of her work on the Australian Core Skills Framework, Philippa has been regularly engaged to deliver professional development and project work for Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy teachers and VET trainers at a statewide and national level. In particular she has had extensive experience delivering workshops on the understanding and application of the ACSF across Australia in industry, government and community settings, and for a range of public and private Registered Training Organisations. Philippa has also worked on national projects developing exemplar assessment tools and delivery resources, delivers accredited and non accredited training in Language, Literacy and Numeracy and provides specialist advice and training in the areas of Language, Literacy and Numeracy validation and moderation.

In her previous role as the Principal of Philippa McLean Consulting she worked with Escalier Consulting on a range of Commonwealth and State government program evaluation projects in the area of apprenticeships and school to work transition and assisted the University of New England (at the request of DIISRTE) as the specialist adviser on a literacy campaign in the Wilcannia community, a project supported by the Lowitja Institute, DEEWR, FAHCSIA and the NSW Aboriginal Housing Service.

Putting together a project team

Depending on the size and complexity of the task and the expertise required we work as a single agent on a project or draw together a team of experts from across Australia to work on large scale consultancy projects to ensure the best result for clients.  The following individuals from consulting organisations have been commissioned:

Margo Couldrey from Lista on VET projects

Paul Byrne from Paul G Byrne Consulting on VET projects

Linda Wyse and Kath Brewer from LWA, Dave Tout from the Australian Council for Educational Research and Kate Perkins from Kulu Adventures in  Management, on the revision of the Australian Core Skills Framework, and the development of the ACSF Pre Level 1 Supplement

Jenni Oldfield from Precision Consulting on literacy and numeracy projects in the VET sector

Peter Kellock from the Asquith Group on school to work transition and VET projects

Katy O’Callaghan from Outpost Consulting on VET and school to work transition projects

Judy MacGraw from Judy MacGraw Consulting on projects for Indigenous organisations

Duane Vickery from ETM Perspectives on projects for Indigenous organisations

Dave Turner from Dave Turner Consulting on school to work transition projects

Katrina Lyle from CW Lyle and Associates to assist with data collection, surveys and report writing