A specialist in coaching emerging leaders and executive assistants, Tara Claydon will show you how to grow as a successful executive assistant and business partner at an online seminar from 25 February — 11 March. Photo: Supplied.
Executive Assistant Upskilling & High-Performance Virtual Seminar Series
Date: 25 February — 11 March
Time: Noon — 2 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
In an increasingly busy and complex world, the role of the assistant is more important than ever. Calm, clarity and focus are essential for modern executives to perform their roles. Therefore, it is vital that you have the skills and capabilities as an assistant to support them and help your organisation function at a high level.
This refreshed seminar series is designed to educate you in the skills needed to be the glue in your executive’s network and to empower you with AI tools that optimise your effectiveness (even if your particular organisation is dragging its feet). Build effectiveness, confidence and influence to truly own your role.
The series facilitator is Tara Claydon, who began her career as an officer in the navy, where she developed a foundation of discipline, strategic thinking and leadership under pressure. Following her service, she spent years as an executive assistant, honing her expertise in supporting high-level leaders, managing complex priorities and navigating organisational dynamics with precision and impact.
Through these sessions, you’ll strengthen your capacity to collaborate with stakeholders and adapt to varied contexts. You’ll become the vital, empowering link within your executive’s network, combining mastery, adaptive communication and technology-driven efficiency. Tara empowers professionals to move from reactive roles to strategic influence, fostering resilience, clarity and high performance within teams.
MasterCraft Series — Meet the Evaluation Heads of Profession
Date: 26 February
Time: 1 pm — 2 pm
Duration: One 60-minute face-to-screen session
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
The evaluation profession stands at an exciting crossroads. Join presenters Danielle Wood and Shane Johnson — heads of the evaluation profession — as they unveil a groundbreaking new strategy that will shape the future of evaluation across the public sector.
Danielle is chair of the Productivity Commission, while Shane is the First Assistant Secretary of the Tax Analysis Division in the Department of the Treasury. Eleanor Williams is the managing director of the Australian Centre for Evaluation in the Department of Treasury.
This is your opportunity to be among the first to hear directly about their vision for strengthening the role of evidence-based decision-making in Australian policy development and implementation. Whether you’re a seasoned evaluation professional or new to the field, this is your chance to understand how evidence and data are being leveraged to create better outcomes for all Australians — and how you can be part of this important journey.
This content is suitable for all staff.
SES Welcome
Date: 27 February
Time: 2 pm — 4:30 pm
Duration: One 2.5-hour face-to-screen event
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
This session is designed to welcome new leaders and support them in setting themselves up for success at the start of their Senior Executive Service career.
The SES Welcome introduces the expectations and obligations of SES roles, and shows how to manage ‘’leadership shadow’’ and deal with the greater scale of senior leadership. It provides an opportunity to connect with peers and colleagues who are also transitioning into SES roles, and to develop a plan for the coming six months in the role.
The program welcomes all newly promoted SES Band 1s and external SES recruits to provide a foundation that can be built on in the more detailed SES Orientation program. Participants are encouraged to attend the SES Welcome within the first two months in their role.
This learning experience has been provided by the APS Academy, and the content is suitable for:
- SES Band 1s promoted from an EL classification.
- SES Band 1s and Band 2s recruited from outside the APS.
SES: A Strategic Perspective to Managing Risk
Date: 27 February
Time: 9 am — 12:30 pm
Duration: One 3.5-hour face-to-face session
Location: Australian Capital Territory
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
This course is for Senior Executive Service (SES) officials whose roles require them to identify and determine the levels of risk appropriate to their agency’s profile, allocate resources and lead the adoption of risk management policies, strategies and best practices.
This learning experience was created by the Department of Finance, and the content is suitable for SES 1 — SES 3.
Essential Writing for Executive Levels
Date: 2 — 3 March
Time: 1:30 pm — 4:30 pm
Duration: Two three-hour face-to-screen sessions
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
Essential Writing for Executive Levels shows participants how to produce documents that are accurate, clear and consistent with government style requirements. This program is suitable for executive-level staff who are either undertaking writing tasks themselves, managing other employees on a writing task, are new to the APS or have transferred into a role where higher levels of writing skills are required.
This learning experience has been provided by a third party in consultation with the APS Academy, and the content is suitable for EL1 and EL2.
APS Leadership Edge
Date: 2 March — 9 December
Duration: Program spans over 10 months. A minimum of one hour a fortnight is required, with some periods requiring up to five hours a fortnight to complete learning sprints.
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
APS Leadership Edge is a cohort-based social learning program that enables EL 2s to develop their leadership and management skills through a range of learning sprints and activities.
Over the 10 months, the program will provide opportunities to embed learnings through practical application and expand professional networks across the APS through discussions in a large cohort and small-group activities. All work is done virtually, and delivered flexibly to enable EL2s to participate regardless of where they are or what they do.
This learning experience has been provided by the APS Academy, and the content is suitable for EL 2s and high-performing EL 1s with supervisor support.
QLD Public Sector Grades AO 3-4 Essential Skills Workshop
Date: 3 — 4 March
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Brisbane
Email: [email protected]
Overview
The starting point of your leadership journey.
- Enhance your professional competence to achieve results.
- Adopt practical tools to communicate with impact and influence.
- Learn effective change management principles to support strategic direction.
- Explore career planning and pathways in the Queensland public sector.
From boardrooms to classrooms, Miriam Henke brings a powerful blend of psychological insight and executive coaching expertise to help leaders thrive. As an experienced health psychologist and executive coach, Miriam partners with organisations to deliver workplace wellness, mental health and leadership development programs that create lasting impact across South-East Queensland.
A senior clinical lecturer at the University of Adelaide, she draws on the latest research in psychology and human behaviour to guide practical, strategic growth for individuals and teams alike. Through her work with Leading Workplace Solutions, which she co-leads with Dr Simone Shaw, Miriam is helping to shape more resilient, effective and mentally healthy workplaces across Australia.
Public Sector — Persuasive Writing Masterclass 2026
Date: 4 March — 5 May
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: In-person; Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra
Email: [email protected]
Improve your writing in government for impact and influence. All writing should be clear, concise, and correct. Good-quality public sector writing should also be professional, persuasive, and polished. Public sector writing can be challenging and time-consuming. You have to contend with different audiences, rigid deadlines, and complex topics.
While the basic skills of good writing are critical, you need more to meet the demands of more involved government communication. You need to be able to present every case confidently and well, regardless of who you are writing to or what you are writing about. You must be able to use words, structure, flow, and more to deliver compelling arguments and convincing information that people will want to read.
Facilitator Bev Sullivan has decades of experience in running written communication workshops for public servants at all levels and from all tiers of government. Her specialty is helping people to use (and tweak) their existing skills and experience to make writing less of a chore and deliver better results.
EL1 & EL2 Strategic Thinking & Advanced Problem-Solving Workshop
Date: 4 — 5 March
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Master strategic thinking, empower teams, and conquer complex challenges.
- Apply outcome-driven models for strategic decision-making.
- Use advanced problem-solving techniques to address real-world challenges.
- Explore your role as an executive leader to empower others to find solutions.
- Build confidence in decision-making and leadership capabilities.
Trainer Dr Karen Whittingham is one of Australia’s leading executive management development specialists, having worked with thousands of executives to transition them into senior leadership roles quickly and effectively. She is an organisational psychologist passionate about people’s success and facilitating their careers to rise.
Using PowerBI to communicate effectively with data
Date: 10 — 12 March
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Gain direct hands-on experience building a fully interactive PowerBI report, using real-world data. Increasingly in today’s business environment, we are all required to understand, analyse and present data.
Tools such as Excel and PowerPoint are fine when it comes to basic data presentations, but for greater data challenges, more serious tools are needed. This course is designed to introduce both business and technical audiences to the basics of Microsoft’s PowerBI application.
Facilitator Paul Hodge will provide expert guidance through the maze of challenges facing us when asked to analyse ever-increasing amounts of data being produced for audiences around the world. You will be taken on an engaging journey through entertaining and informative hands-on examples, and gain insights for the real-world application in delivering compelling PowerBI reports that will help answer your critical business questions.
