Personnel:
(Antonio) Tony Palladino

Tony is currently working as Executive Officer of the New South Wales Utilities & Electrotechnology Industry Training Advisory Body (NSW U&E ITAB) in Australia. He has worked most recently with clients such as energy and electrotechnology companies and training providers or organisations in NSW. Also, Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC)/Nawah Energy Company and the Mubadala Development Company PJSC in the UAE on national qualifications, national occupational skill and competency standards for nuclear power plant operators and technicians, as well as career planning, performance management, and other associated occupational and job classification frameworks, requirements and matters.

He has held positions of Advisor and Senior Manager, Vocational Education and Training Awards Commission (VETAC) to the National Qualifications Authority (NQA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as Deputy Project Leader for the design and development of an inaugural suite of national occupational skills standards (NOSS) for 50 priority occupations in Saudi Arabia. Also, Chief Executive Officer of a Group Training Company (GTC) employing over 600 apprentices and a Skills Centre concurrently providing training programs to over 1,000 trainees.

Previous to that he was CEO of a National Skills Council in Australia, EE-Oz Training Standards, for more than 10 years developing national workforce strategies and plans for industry, national qualifications and competency standards, augmented with training support materials and resources for the electricity, gas, and electrotechnology industries. As well, he has previous experience in industrial relations, delivery of soft-skills to adult training courses and qualified in electrical engineering work.

Tony's other achievements include coordinating and leading, with stakeholders, the establishment of the National Qualifications Authority (NQA) of the UAE, now fully operational; authoring the UAE National Qualifications Framework for the Emirates (NQF - QFEmirates) Handbook and UAE Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals; and developing and advising policies, processes and procedures for establishing and operationalizing the Vocational Education and Training Awards Commission (VETAC) for the UAE. Most recently he been commissioned to develop national qualifications and national occupational skill standards (Q+NOSS) for the technician and operator occupations at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) in the UAE and submit them to the NQA for national recognition.