ACEVic
Conference

 

Co-Founder and Director, Connect Psych Services

​

Dr. Natalie Flatt, Ph.D., is a psychologist and co-founder of Connect Psych Services. With over 16 years of experience in workplace mental health, she works closely with key decision-makers to develop humanistic and measurable workplace wellness innovations, focusing on strategies to enhance intrinsic motivation, behaviour change, and psychological safety.

Natalie is passionate about researching health tech efficacy and collaborates with academics to assess users' experiences and outcomes. She creates and conducts workplace mental health awareness sessions and webinars, and frequently presents as a keynote speaker and panellist.

Specializing in employee-related mental health conditions, Natalie focuses on identifying and intervening early for burnout, vicarious trauma, anxiety, and stress in the workplace. She also emphasizes the development of a growth mindset and emotional intelligence within teams to improve overall mental health outcomes.

Natalie is a Victorian Committee Member for Suicide Prevention Australia and has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Rugby Union Players Association.

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Managing Burnout: Strategies for Overcoming Stress, Trauma, and Decision Fatigue

​

This session, hosted by Dr. Natalie Flatt Ph.D, Connect Psych Services,  will equip participants with insights into burnout, particularly in high-pressure environments involving occupational violence, secondary trauma, and decision fatigue. Natalie will explore how burnout manifests in individuals and teams, identifies early warning signs, and offers a holistic, evidence-based approach to stress management and resilience.

 

Key themes include  -

• Understanding the stress cycle,

• The impact of occupational trauma,

• Decision fatigue, early burnout indicators, and

• Strategies for prevention and recovery.

 

Participants will also explore the effects of emotional labour, build self-efficacy, and walk away with strategies on how to build psychological safety within their teams.

​

Learning Technologist, Swinburne

​

Garth is a Learning Technologist Specialist working in the Education Innovation Exchange team at Swinburne 

​

​

Enhancing Productivity with Microsoft Tools, Copilot, and Generative AI

​

Join Garth present this engaging and practical workshop focused on how generative AI, Microsoft tools, and Copilot can be integrated to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.

​

The session will demonstrate how innovative technologies can automate administrative tasks, improve efficiency, and spark greater creativity in your work.

​

Key Highlights:

​

• Discover how generative AI can enhance administrative efficiency

• Learn practical applications for automating workflows

• Gain insights into tools and techniques designed for both professional staff and teachers

• Explore real-world examples and success stories of successful integration

​

​

Participants will leave with practical knowledge on how to optimise their workflows using Microsoft tools and Copilot, leading to more effective and creative outcomes.

​

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert and transform the way you work!

​

​

 

 

Collaborating for Success: Industry Practice Network Panel 

​

Join us for an engaging session focused on creating strong connections between Learn Local providers and employers in the Care and Support sector to enhance adult learners LLNED skills for work outcomes.

​

​

The workshop will feature a panel. Industry experts, Learn Local champions and learners will tell success stories and provide takeaway tips on

 

·        How to identify and engage with key employers

·        Best practices for building and maintaining successful partnerships

·        Practical tools and resources for collaboratively addressing LLNED skill gaps

·        Real-world examples of successful employer partnerships and learner journeys

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Manager Course Transitions and Pathways, TAFE Gippsland

​

Shae is a passionate leader in vocational education and training, dedicated to fostering inclusive and accessible learning environments. With over 20 years of experience, she has played a pivotal role in developing student support services, integrated literacy and numeracy programs, and strengthening partnerships, including with the Learn Local sector, to enhance learner pathways.

Her work focuses on empowering underrepresented students, particularly those facing intersectional disadvantage, by addressing systemic barriers to education. Through her fellowship research, Shae has explored progressive approaches to vocational education that improve equity and access, informing policy development, training models, and strategies that connect education with employment.

A dynamic speaker and advocate, Shae combines research insights with practical experience to guide educators, industry stakeholders, and policymakers in building more equitable and supportive vocational education environments.

 

​

​

Progressive Strategies for Inclusive Course Design in VET

​

Based on International research discover how progressive approaches in qualification delivery and design can break down barriers and create real opportunities for learners experiencing intersectional disadvantage. This engaging session will explore practical strategies, outcomes from pilot programs and policy recommendations that support underrepresented students in vocational education and training (VET).

 

Why Attend?

• Gain insights from fellowship research and recent pilot programs

• Learn actionable strategies to support students experiencing disadvantage leveraging off external support, pre-accredited and accredited training

• Hear success stories from TAFE Gippsland initiatives

• Engage in meaningful discussions on implementing inclusive education practices

 

Key Topics:

1. Understanding the Landscape – Barriers faced by diverse learners and the role of VET in fostering equity.

2. Progressive Support Strategies – Holistic models, pathways, partnerships and mentorship.

3. Real-World Impact – Evidence-based outcomes.

4. Next Steps – Policy integration, scaling strategies and leadership in inclusion

​

Training Lead, Governance & Community Leadership, Institute of Community Directors Australia

​

After completing her Master of Education, Nina discovered her passion for working with communities and empowering them through music-based education programs. In 2016, Nina joined the Victorian Student Representative Council as a training and project manager, and she was later appointed CEO. As CEO, she led the organisation through a time of significant change, from being an auspice agency to becoming a charitable company limited by guarantee. It was during this time that she honed her skills as an executive manager, educator and advocate with a strong focus on strategic planning, mentoring and governance.

Nina excels in strategic and change management, particularly in bringing diverse stakeholders along for the journey. Her agile management style and unwavering energy and commitment enable her to build strong teams that thrive under challenging situations.

Nina is a passionate advocate for ensuring all people, particularly those from marginalised communities, have accessible platforms, opportunities and spaces where they can be heard and supported to create positive change in the world.

Nina works with the training team to develop new training materials and deliver the full range of ICDA programs, including the Diploma of Governance.

​

​

​

Governance foundations for leaders working with community boards

​

Strong governance is essential for effective leadership and decision-making in community organisations.

 

This session provides leaders with a foundational understanding of governance principles and best practices when working with or supporting community boards.

 

Participants will gain insights into the roles and responsibilities of board members, legal and ethical considerations, and strategies for enhancing board leadership.

​

• The role of governance in community organisations

• Board roles and responsibilities

• Legal and ethical obligations

• Effective board leadership and dynamics

• Building strong relationships between the leadership team and the board

​

​

Partner People Risk, Howden Group

​

Shehan has led the design, development and delivery of Psychosocial Risk Management solutions across the Pacific. He has extensive knowledge in enterprise-level risk management, organisational psychology and the development of large-scale psychological interventions. Most notable is his work in the Adult Community Education sector over the last 15 years has delivered preventative interventions to protect workforce populations that look after the most vulnerable members of our community.

​

Understanding Psychosocial Hazards and its Impacts

​

Recently, Workplace Health and Safety codes of practice in most States of Australia have been developed to include psychosocial risks, which are generally defined as 'risks to the health or safety of a worker or other person from psychosocial hazards'.

 

Under the new codes of practice, organisational leaders are responsible for managing psychosocial risks in their workplaces. To do this effectively, they require knowledge of several important factors, including how to identify the key psychosocial hazards in a work environment, how psychosocial hazards can impact people’s behaviour. In the community sector, we are exposed to a number of psychosocial hazards as such as managing violence and aggression, exposure to our clients traumatic experiences or even conflict and poor workplace relationships with our colleagues. ACEVIC together with Howden have created this opportunity for you to learn more about compliance as well as creating an environment where your team can thrive.

​

 

 

Understanding and Engaging Hard-to-Reach Learners

​

Presented by a practitioner with proven strategies, this interactive session will share insights from a Victorian government-funded project that identified challenges and solutions for effectively engaging learners facing additional education and workforce barriers.

Developed in collaboration with adult education providers, the project used a research and co-design approach to create practical, inclusive strategies for reaching, engaging  and supporting diverse learners. The session will explore:

• Understanding local learner cohorts – Using public data tools to identify learner needs and community dynamics.

• Engagement and enrolment – Strategies for effective outreach, marketing, and accessible enrolment pathways.

Led by a practitioner who has successfully implemented these strategies, this session will be interactive, combining discussion and presentation to ensure participants gain practical, adaptable takeaways.

 

Participants will leave with practical, adaptable approaches to strengthen learner pathways, support success in education and employment, and enhance community participation. They are tailored to the adult education sector and flexible across different organisational contexts, valuable for providers of all sizes—from large institutions to regional and community-based organisations—effective in engaging diverse learner cohorts, and designed to be sustainable and evolve over time.