Meet the Trainer – Jo W

Tell us a bit about your work history and career goals:

My passion for business, management, marketing and training began in retail at Myer where I participated in the Louis Allen Management Leadership program, which significantly shaped my approach and equipped me with valuable tools for work life, leading to a lifelong love of learning both through Vocational and Tertiary study. This interest and enthusiasm was further developed whilst living in Melbourne and over 11 years, I launched a marketing business focused on promoting Australiana products and designs globally, showcasing Australian designs such as Viva La Wombat, and Morrisons of Euroa among other Australian designs.

My career goals and my personal values align as I enjoy getting to know people. This is particularly evident in my enthusiasm for working in collaborative and leadership roles within the RTO sector. I thrive on motivating and guiding team members to achieve positive results by developing their skills in customer relationships, sales, training and operational efficiency. I enjoy fostering a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement to ensure that we can be proud to deliver exceptional client experiences. I am committed to personal development and I seek to demonstrate integrity, strategic leadership and clear communication thereby enhancing employee development, to work and learn together. I enjoy being able to work on and find ways to drive sustainable growth, to exceed the expectations of both customers and stakeholders.

In my recent role as Regional Training Manager, I led a team of 15-20 trainers across Adelaide, Murraylands, Riverlands, and Southeast SA. My responsibilities included recruiting, training, and mentoring staff, as well as promoting training qualifications and managing staffing in the regions and at career expos. A highlight of this role was creating a workforce development plan for a regional aged care facility, which successfully led to the recruitment of support workers and the reopening of an office for the organisation in the region.

As a Quality & Compliance Manager at a NDIS Plan Manger, I focused on enhancing business operations to ensure a streamlined client experience. I supported team leaders in implementing process improvements, managed the client feedback system and achieved key milestones such as developing internal audit tools, designing a quality training program and creating a Business Continuity Plan for ISO 27001 certification.

Earlier in my career as a Training Coordinator, I identified training needs and developed plans for staff development. I managed the transition to online eLearning during COVID-19. I have also been a Sessional Contract Trainer, successfully training students in retail operations and business administration and facilitating job placements.

In my role as Operations Manager at a disability service provider, I managed the organisations daily operations, governance, and policy development, steering the organisation through the initial transition to the NDIS and ISO readiness. A key part of this was leading the organisation through ISO 9001 certification. My responsibilities also included guiding the in home support rostering IT solution integration, which resulted in streamlining support worker compliance. I also sat on and contributed to industry safety and workforce development committees through the National Disability Services’ implementation project.

Throughout my career, I have balanced my professional life with family commitments, working (predominantly while a parent of younger children) in part-time in roles that offered flexibility. This included working as a Brand Representative, Merchandiser, and in retail management and sales which continued to build a solid understanding for my leadership and training roles to come.

Above all, over the course of my life and career I have demonstrated a positive commitment to working with people, uncovering and nurturing their strengths and continuously striving for excellence in every endeavour.