I am a researcher at a dual sector provider Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia at the Mitchell Institute in a specialist research section that looks at education policy. I undertake academic and contract research, primarily which investigates transitions in or out of post-school education in Australia. I have a particular interest in career education and vocational education. In 2023, I'm also working as Senior Lecturer, Career Education at James Cook University in Queensland who run a major program in career education that trains Professional Career Development Practitioners.

In 2018 my PhD from the Faculty of Education, Monash University was conferred which investigated the history of higher education marketing materials since higher education expansion in the UK and Australia. This followed a long and continuing interest in career information and the public information provided to make career decisions particularly in post-school transitions. I have been a qualified career practitioner since 2010 and am now registered as a Certified Leading Practitioner by the Career Industry Council of Australia. I worked as a career practitioner for 10 years at Swinburne TAFE, Monash University, privately and now pro-bono. For five years I was the subject matter expert on the strategic development of myfuture.edu.au, Australia's National Career Information Service and trained career practitioners in every state and territory. I contribute research expertise to the Career Industry Council of Australia and have supported the facilitation of Masterclasses for Australian Blueprint of Career Development to develop national snapshots of practice across the country.

The early part of my career was working in student support and administration of higher education. After involvement in student activism and a series of false starts at university in London, I worked as a disability support officer in higher education institutions and was funded to work in a systemic way to improve institutional provision. I completed the Master’s of Higher and Professional Education program while working at the Institute of Education, now University College London in a number of roles, concluding as Assistant Academic Registrar. I have had an enduring interest in supporting students with disabilities and now sit on the Executive of the Disability Discrimination Legal Service and previously sat on the board of SPELD a charity Specific Learning Disabilities Victoria and the directors for Methodist Ladies College.

See my project page for what I have been working on and get in touch if you want to discuss any aspect of my work

Qualifications

2020 - Certified Leading Career Practitioner, Career Industry Council of Australia

2011 - 2017 - PhD, Monash University (part time)

2010 - Cert IV Training and Assessment, Rediteach (intensive)

2009 - 2010 - Grad Cert Career Education & Development , RMIT (part time)

2004 - 2006 - MA Higher & Professional Education, Institute of Education, University of London (part time)

2002 - 2004 - BA (Hons) Teaching English as a Foreign Language with Education Studies, Middlesex University (part time, including APL/APEL)

2001 - Cambridge University Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults [CELTA], St Giles College (intensive)

1999- 2000 - LLB Laws, London School of Economics (incomplete!)