Following a career that has spanned all sectors of education within Australia and overseas, Pam Christie took on the role of Managing Director of TAFE NSW in October 2012. Having worked in both vocational education and government policy, she is intimately familiar with the significant changes underway in Australia’s tertiary education industry and has maintained an abiding focus on connection to industry and changing lives through education.
While Pam is proud of the numerous things TAFE NSW has achieved over recent years, such as TAFE’s first enterprise agreements and the introduction of its first degree programs, she notes these achievements havent come without significant challenges. These initiatives involved forging new relationships and partnerships as well as establishing understanding among our staff of the significant changes in our market and the implications for our workforce.
“My greatest challenge today is to position TAFE NSW for success in an intensely competitive tertiary market. TAFE is in transition from a largely government-funded organisation into one operating in a much more commercial and contestable environment. We need to compete not only with universities but with other training organisations both for government dollars and for commercial business. That means leading a major transformation of our governance, business, workforce, and our asset portfolio.”