Rob Simons - The Smith Family (http://www.thesmithfamily.com.au) "Education and Training for social inclusion" The 'other' Australia - lower rates of training and workforce participation in groups such as indigenous, early shool leavers, sole parent families, non-english speaking backgrounds. Aus has poor rate of converting sole parents to working parents. Argument should be shifted in short term from labour demand from labour supply - increasing participation. Long term - early childhood education, transform education and training systems, integrated approach to primary, secondary and tertiary. Brain Caldwell - transformational leadership for education. Change that is significant, substantial and sustainable. Too many learners only achieve minimum standards. Within the education systems the gaps in achievement actually widen between the advantaged and dis-advantaged students. They start apart and the gap gets wider. Too fews people are work readý - check article by Heather Ridout in last weekend's Australian - must hunt it out before it goes in the recycling :) Needs of individuals, society Facilitating transformation through the translation of education research into classroom practice. Historically research has pointed out problems, done pilots that donzt tend to go anywhere. Greatest opps for improving educational outcomes reside in teaching and learning processes. The system is constraining teacher practice, including innovation in use of flexible approaches and use of technology. Proposes education research should be about creating tools and processes for use by teachers, not publication of scholarly papers - hear! hear! The Smith Family (TSF) - both programs (what we do) and models (how we work in communities) across early years to lifelong learning. One key area looked at was the school to work transition. Surprisingly tafe and vet students had poor matches between educational plans and career requirements. More work in career planning needed. 2003 Barriers to Participation - digital, financial and comprehension literacies Designing programs and strategies - need demonstraion of effective innovation.