Skills, Gender, Intersectionality and Equity Symposium
Location
About
The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) will host a series of three symposiums in summer 2025–26, exploring key aspects of its mission to support inclusive growth and shared prosperity through skills.
The symposiums will focus on:
- Skills, gender, intersectionality and equity
- Self-determination, Treaty and First Nations Peoples’ prosperity – in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI)
- Disability, vocational education and training (VET) and the workplace
SYMPOSIUM 1: Skills, gender, intersectionality and equity
This symposium will address gender and skills, including patterns of VET enrolment and completion, occupational segregation, career progression disparities, and barriers to training and employment.
The events will bring together industry leaders, unions, TAFEs and VET providers, government representatives, researchers, advocacy groups, and people with lived experience to share evidence, identify systemic barriers, and co-design practical recommendations.
Each symposium will also identify change champions to support collaboration and drive meaningful action.
Key Note ADDRESS
Dr Emma Cannen, Director Gender Economic Equality Study, Jobs and Skills Australia
Dr Emma Cannen is a research and policy leader with an expansive career working in roles across government, industry, unions, and academia. Emma has led three JSA studies: the Gender Economic Equality Study, the VET Workforce Study and The Clean Energy Generation: workforce needs for a Net Zero economy. These large-scale research studies make policy recommendations to Government to meet Australia’s critical workforce needs and skills gaps. Emma has a PhD in global politics and in past roles, campaigned for equal pay legislative reform; translated Indonesian as an intelligence analyst; worked across various levels of education policy; and has lectured at various universities in sociology, political economy, and communications.
Kit McMahon, CEO of Women's Health in the South East (WHISE)
Kit McMahon has nearly two decades of experience across education, training and not for profits. Kit has consistently and passionately advocated for gender equality, empowering women and girls. Kit has been pivotal in advancing efforts under the Gender Equality Act, including implementing gender equality action plans and impact assessments across defined entities in tourism agencies, justice, local government, cemeteries and crematoria, and the creative industries. Kit's work in vocational education and training has been extensive and impactful. She currently leads a national project addressing gender inequity in Group Training Organisations supporting female apprentices in male-dominated trades, and is developing a Theory of Change for Powering Skills Australia on how the Jobs and Skills Councils can sustainably address gender inequality in Clean Energy. She has undertaken a Gender Impact Assessment and built capability among educators to retain women in Engineering at Chisholm TAFE, and led a statewide Victorian project to prevent workplace gender-based violence in TAFE and RTOs.
Alongside her work at WHISE, Kit is Deputy Chair/Director of Volunteering Australia, National Co-Convenor of Women in Adult and Vocational Education as well as Director for Tradeswomen Australia.
Flagstaff Station: Approximate 5 minute walk
Southern Cross Station: Approximate 10 minute walk
Please contact vsa.engagement@ecodev.vic.gov.au with any queries and to advise any access or support requirements.