VET National Teaching & Learning Conference 2026: Healthy Workplaces. Thriving Teachers. Positive Outcomes.
The VET Development Centre has a proud 21-year tradition of providing one of Australia’s leading teaching & learning conferences for Vocational Education and Training. The VET National Teaching & Learning Conference 2026 will be held in-person at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on the 13 & 14 of August.
Description
The VET Development Centre has a proud 21-year tradition of providing one of Australia’s leading teaching & learning conferences for Vocational Education and Training. The VET National Teaching & Learning Conference 2026 will be held in-person at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on the 13 & 14 of August.
The theme for this year’s Conference is “Healthy Workplaces - Thriving Teachers - Positive Outcomes.” The core of the theme focuses on creating supportive workplace culture, enhancing teacher wellbeing, and embracing inclusive practices for diverse learners – all designed to empower educators and deliver positive outcomes for every student.
Over 2-days there will be an array of professional learning opportunities with a focus on VET practitioners, as well as a stream of sessions featuring VET applied research for other VET Sector professionals.
- Keynote Speakers & Presentations
- Expert Panels
- Concurrent Teaching & Learning Workshops
- Applied Research Sessions
- Networking Function
Healthy Workplaces - Thriving Teachers - Positive Outcomes captures the transformative journey that educators and learners undertake within vocational education and training. It is a call to our educators and their leaders to cultivate environments where learners are inspired to move beyond basic competency and strive for mastery. This theme places reflection at the heart of professional practice. Educators are encouraged to consider how their own approaches can motivate and guide learners from competence to excellence.
Together with stimulating and engaging Keynote speakers, another important part of the conference is the concurrent ‘Professional Learning and Flipped Learning Concurrent Workshops’. These sessions, together with inspiring presentations, panel discussions and informative case studies, will reflect upon the fundamental aim of the Conference, empowering teachers and trainers from public, private and community providers to take the journey, enhancing the path from competence to excellence in education and employment outcomes for VET students.
Let's foster healthy workplaces, support thriving teachers, and achieve positive outcomes for all.
EARLY BIRD TICKET $575 (incl. GST): CLOSE 15 MAY 2026
STANDARD PRICE: $660 (incl. GST); 10% discount for Group Bookings of 10 or more applies only to Standard Price tickets
Conference MC
Chemène Sinson
Chemène specialises in education, learning and performance across various educational sectors, both within Australia and internationally.
Featuring Keynote Presentations

Noddy Sharma - ‘Culture that Inspires’
Noddy Sharma operates at the intersection of high-stakes performance, emerging technology, and communal purpose. A former professional athlete, Noddy translates the discipline of elite sport into a mission for ethical leadership and human flourishing. As a founder of the Abel Movement and co-author of AI and the Next Generation, he is a leading voice on how automation impacts the wellbeing and deep learning of young Australians.
His authentic perspective is shaped by a dedicated commitment to foster parenting and over two decades of leadership in the NFP sector. Noddy delivers a cheeky and profound challenge to audiences: to master the future of technology without losing the soul of human connection, ensuring the next generation remains known, loved, and protected in an increasingly automated world.
Dr Lila Landowski - ‘Popcorn Brain in Today’s World: Attention, Anxiety and Agency in the Age of Social Media & AI’
Dr Lila Landowski is a multi-award-winning neuroscientist and senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania, Board Director of Science & Technology Australia and World Health Organisation Fides health ambassador. Passionate about making science useful in everyday life, Lila brings brain science to millions through radio, TV screens, podcasts and live events. Her TEDx talk on the neuroscience of learning faster is one of the most-watched TEDx talks in the world, and she’s spent more than 15 years teaching future doctors, nurses, scientists and more. Named one the Herald Sun’s Top 20 Australians STEM and a “Science Superhero” (according to Australia’s Chief Scientist), Lila is on a mission to make brain science accessible to everyone.
Mel Neil - ‘A Flourishing Workplace’
With a passion for enabling an ever-growing number of people to access the science of human flourishing, Mel Neil has been coaching and consulting for over 15 years. Using her strengths-based approach, she designs and delivers custom leadership and performance programs for clients in the public and private sectors. Mel has developed the Happiness Lab and Academy platforms in response to the demand for a space in which individuals can engage with the science of human flourishing and apply their learning to improve the areas of their life that they choose to change.
Daniel Joinbee - ‘Found in Space: Found in Space: Lifting Indigenous Horizons Through Aerospace Education (The Value of Co-designed, Flexible Career Pathways)’
Daniel Joinbee is a proud Gunggandji man, a descendant of the Gunggandji people of Yarrabah, Far North Queensland, and the Founder and Managing Director of Gunggandji Aerospace - Australia's first and only 100% Aboriginal and veteran-owned aerospace consultancy. His Raising Horizons program reaches First Nations students in Years 7 to 12 across 29 remote communities in Far North Queensland. It was recognised as Diversity Initiative Program of the Year at the Australian Space Awards 2025. That program is the lived proof behind everything Daniel will share today about what co-designed, flexible career pathways actually look like in practice.
A former RAAF Air Traffic Controller and Military Search and Rescue Officer, Daniel brings over 18 years of experience across military service, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the defence industry. He holds an Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School, a BSc from UNSW@ADFA, and a Diploma of Aviation - and is currently completing a Master of Applied Finance, walking the talk on lifelong learning. His accolades include the Indigenous Space Leader of the Year 2023, Indigenous Space Business of the Year 2024, the UNSW Young Alumni Award 2025, and the Australia Day Medallion. Daniel's blend of military discipline, entrepreneurial leadership, and deep cultural connection to Country makes him one of Australia's most compelling voices on building workforce pathways that actually work for the people they're designed to serve.
Presentations & Workshops
Speaker Announcement Coming Soon!
Venue & Accommodation
MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE (MCEC)
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
2 Clarendon Street
South Wharf, Victoria 3006
MCEC is a Melbourne icon. Located in the vibrant South Wharf precinct, just a walk along the Yarra River to Southbank, the Arts precinct and the CBD. Getting to MCEC is easy. Stroll along the river from Melbourne’s city centre, catch a tram or train to the venue doorstep, or drive into one of several onsite secure car parks.
Novotel Melbourne South Wharf stands proudly in one of Melbourne's oldest locations, the historic South Wharf promenade. The hotel is complemented with direct access to MCEC.
For those in need of some retail therapy, the hotel is adjacent to the DFO centre, with 180 plus retail brands. A short walk from the hotel is Seafarers Bridge, connecting you to Marvel Stadium, Southern Cross Station and the city centre.
Thanks to our Sponsors

Please contact Sandra Ball, Chief Operating Officer via sball@vdc.edu.au for enquiries.