The Workforce Council is pleased to announce that former Australian Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja, renowned social entrepreneur and award winning writer Nic Frances, and emotional intelligence author and trainer Amanda Gore have all been confirmed as keynote speakers for the 2011 Health and Community Services Workforce Innovation Conference.
The second annual Health and Community Services Workforce Innovation Conference & Awards will take place 19 - 20 May 2011 at Brisbane's Sebel Citigate Hotel. The event will bring together over 300 Health and Community Services delegates from across Queensland, including representatives from Government Departments, child care, disability, Indigenous health, advocacy services, aged care, hospitals, primary health care and mental health.
The conference will examine the current and future workforce context for our industries, with presentations and workshops covering: Workforce planning and sustainability; Leadership and management; Career and industry pathways and promotion; and Innovative workforce models in response to needs and reforms.
About Natasha Stott Despoja
Natasha is a former Senator for South Australia and the youngest woman ever to enter the Australian Federal Parliament. She held the positions of Australian Democrats Leader and Deputy Leader and is the longest serving Democrat Senator.
Natasha has made a contribution to a wide range of policy debates including as a spokesperson on higher education, science and biotechnology, Attorney-General's, privacy, women, work and family. During her political career she also introduced Private Member's Bills on issues including paid maternity leave, the Republic, genetic privacy and stem cells, and captioning.
She is an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at The University of Adelaide; is a columnist for The Adelaide Advertiser and The Business Spectator. Natasha is currently a Director of beyondblue; the Burnet Institute; the South Australian Museum and is a member of the Advertising Standards Board. She is a UNIFEM Ambassador for IWD2011.
About Nic Frances
Nic Frances is a world renowned social entrepreneur and an award-winning writer. He is the founding chairman and CEO of a global company delivering energy efficiency projects aimed at reducing CO2 emissions on a record-breaking scale. With offices on four continents under Nic's leadership the company has grown fast to become a leader in showing how social enterprise can work within economic market to deliver real social change on the biggest issues facing humanity - climate change and poverty.
Nic's thinking on social enterprise as a means of driving social change, informed by experience in business, as an Anglican priest and in the charitable sector, is expressed in his book The End Of Charity: Time For Social Enterprise, winner of the Iremonger Award for writing on public issues and published in 2008 by Allen & Unwin.
He is committed to using business and a market centred on social purpose to cut greenhouse gas pollution levels and to campaign for action on climate change. He is inspired in this work by his children and love for them fires his determination to protect the world they will inherit.
About Amanda Gore
For more than 20 years, Amanda Gore has been one of America's and Australia's most admired experience-creating speakers. She uses the principles of emotional intelligence to transform the spirit of people and cultures by changing perceptions, improving relationships, connecting people, managing change, leadership, innovation and team dynamics.
Author of five books and several video and audio training programs, Amanda has a bachelor's degree in physiotherapy, a major in psychology, and expertise in ergonomics, stress management, group dynamics, neurolinguistics, neuroscience, and occupational health.
Amanda explores the mind-body connection to inspire people to lead, work and live more effectively through emotional and social intelligence, better relationships and connections, enthusiasm, great attitudes, less stress, and more joy!
Conference registrations are open from Monday 28 February. For more information visit the Workforce Innovation Conference & Awards page.
