Secretary
Lisa Paul
Lisa Paul, PSM, is Secretary of the federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
The Department brings together the core elements of the Government’s productivity and participation agenda from early childhood, to school, to further training and education to ensure that everyone who is able to work can get a job.
The Department is also responsible for workforce participation, employment and the laws governing the workplace. The Department’s objectives in this area are to maximise the ability of working age Australians to participate actively in the workforce and improve the productive performance of enterprises in Australia.
DEEWR administers approximately $38 billion annually and has about 6,000 staff in over 50 locations in Australia and 26 locations overseas.
Prior to this role, Lisa was Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training from 2004 to 2007.
She has more than 20 years public sector experience, including three Deputy CEO roles, which were in the Department of Education, Science and Training; the Department of Family and Community Services; and in the Health Insurance Commission. She has held senior positions in education, welfare, community services, health and housing, in state and Commonwealth governments and in central and line agencies.
Lisa has led some important whole-of-government work. For example, in 2002 she was asked to lead the Australian Government's domestic response to the Bali bombings, for which she was awarded a Public Service Medal.
Associate Secretary
Finn Pratt
Finn Pratt, PSM, is responsible for the Workplace Relations area of DEEWR which provides policy and legal advice on workplace relations, occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation matters. This area also implements workplace relations reforms in the public and private sectors, administers the employee entitlements safety net scheme — GEERS, intervenes in significant tribunal and court cases and manages Australia’s relationship with the International Labour Organisation.
Finn was awarded the PSM in 2008 for driving significant and innovative reforms to public employment services and workplace relations in Australia.
Deputy Secretaries
Bill Burmester
Bill’s responsibilities cover Corporate, State Managers, Finance, and Legal Group and the DEEWR Establishment Taskforce.
After a decade as a social statistician in the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Bill was appointed as senior policy adviser in the Department of Finance in 1985. After working on 10 Budgets and numerous other economic statements he moved to the Funding Branch of Higher Education Division in the Department of Employment, Education and Training in 1995. Subsequent moves as a Group Manager to the Corporate and Information Technology areas culminated in a return to Higher Education coinciding with the 2002-03 ‘Crossroads Review’, and the subsequent implementation of the Government’s reform agenda for the sector.
In 2005 he was promoted to Deputy Secretary in DEST with responsibilities covering the Schools Policy area, the Transitions and Career Development area as well as corporate responsibilities for the human and financial resources of the department.
He is a Canberra resident and has a Bachelor of Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Statistics from the Australian National University (ANU).
With the creation of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)at the end of 2007, Bill was charged with the creation and corporate responsibilities of the new department.
His main form of recreation is undertaking tractor assisted gardening and rural fence construction.
Graham Carters
Graham Carters is the Deputy Secretary, Workforce Participation in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). Graham has responsibility for developing policies and strategies to increase workforce participation and social inclusion in Australia. This includes undertaking labour market research and analysis; formulating policies and advice on enhancing employment services; identifying strategies to increase labour supply and employer demand for priority groups; and developing policies to reduce long term unemployment and to increase Indigenous employment.
Grahame Cook
Grahame Cook, PSM, currently has responsibility for issues relating to schools, youth and coordination of the Department’s involvement in the Council of Australian Government Agenda. Areas reporting to him include Schools Funding Group; Schools Teaching, Students and Digital Education Revolution Group; Schools Quality Outcomes, Youth and Transitions Group and the COAG Taskforce Group.
Jim Davidson
Mr Davidson is Deputy Secretary, Tertiary, Youth and International in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. He was appointed in April 2005. He is responsible for overseeing the vocational education and training, higher education, tertiary skills, Office of Youth and international areas within the department.
The Youth and Industry Skills Group includes responsibility for activities under the Skilling Australia’s Workforce Act, for Australian Apprenticeships and the ongoing development of the national training system, as well as providing policy advice on the future of the VET sector.
The Higher Education Group contributes to the development and maintenance of a strong, diverse higher education system. The group administers programmes that support the teaching and learning activities of higher education institutions and provide loans to students, reports on the state and performance of the higher education system, and provides policy advice on the future direction of higher education.
The Tertiary Skills and Productivity Group is responsible for programs and policy that cut across vocational education and higher education. These include equity and quality issues, workforce development and industry engagement.
The International Group supports the sustainable development of Australia’s international engagement in education and training. The Group-includes a network of 26 offices in 18 economies across the world. It contributes to DEEWR-wide international benchmarking and implementation of world's best practice in education and employment policy and programs. It also contributes Australia’s multilateral education and employment engagement through APEC, ILO, and FTA negotiations.
The Office of Youth has responsibility for youth policy, research and programmes targeted specifically to young people. The Office aims to raise the profile and positive image of young people in the community; facilitate and undertake research on families and young people to inform policy and programme development; and liaise with other stakeholders to improve services for young people on a range of issues affecting them including mental health, education and work.
Mr Davidson has more than 30 years experience in the public sector with the Australian, Victorian and South Australian Governments.
Mr Davidson has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Masters Degree in Social Administration and Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Social Statistics).
Malisa Golightly
Malisa has responsibility for the delivery of efficient and effective labour market assistance. She is responsible for the administration of the working age income support payments which are the responsibility of this portfolio (including Newstart and Parenting Payment). Malisa is also responsible for the management and delivery of the portfolio’s extensive employment services including pre-employment and specialist employment services.
Malisa started her career as a graduate with the Australian National Audit Office in Canberra where she gained extensive experience in performance and financial statement audits. Since joining the former DEWR in 1999, Malisa has worked across a number of areas and has a strong understanding of the portfolio and agency responsibilities. She worked as the Chief Financial Officer for a number of years and as the Group Manager of the Community Development Employment Projects Group.
Wendy Jarvie
Wendy is the Director of the Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care and oversees Indigenous Education, International Education, Strategic Analysis and Evaluation and Audit. Prior to the formation of DEEWR she was Deputy Secretary in DEST.
Wendy has had 20 years experience in policy advice and program management in the Australian Public Service. This includes economic and labour market analysis in the former Department of Employment, Education and Training; and in the Bureau of Labour Market Research. She has also held positions in the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Family Services and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. From 1998-2001 she worked for the World Bank in Washington where she was responsible for annual reports on the Bank’s development effectiveness and evaluations of Bank processes, and was manager of a taskforce developing the Bank’s strategy in middle-income countries.
In her spare time she cycles, surfs, renovates her house and tries to keep up with her 18 year old son.
John Kovacic
John is responsible for providing policy and legal advice on workplace relations, occupational health and safety and workers compensation matters; implementing workplace relations reforms in the public and private sectors; administering the employee entitlements safety net scheme – GEERS; intervening in significant tribunal and court cases and managing Australia’s relationship with the International Labour Organisation.
John commenced his career in 1978 as a graduate clerk with the Department of Productivity. Pursuing his lifelong interest in industrial relations, John joined the then Department of Industrial Relations in 1981. He remained in various iterations of that Department since then, working in a range of business and corporate areas in both a national and state office context.