About us

Andre Lewis and Associates (ALA) Pty Ltd is an organisation committed to the development and improvement of Vocational Education and Training within Australia and internationally.    ALA Pty Ltd utilises many years of experience across all levels of the VET system, engaging with a wide range of industry stakeholders, particularly in areas important to Australia's economy such as harmonisation of licensing and migrant skills assessment systems.

The ALA Pty Ltd principal has been involved at the highest level with Training Package policy, development and quality assurance since their inception and has chaired numerous national committees, delivered international conference papers and initiated high level workshops on Training Package quality issues. Andre Lewis has a background in senior management in industry, the National Training Board (NTB), Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) and Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and was instrumental in policy formation and establishment of the initial Industry Skills Councils.

ALA Pty Ltd associates have extensive experience in research, conducting focus groups for a wide selection of industry, government and regulator stakeholders, including drawing out salient and targeted information that can be reliably used for analysis, comprehensive reporting and recommendations for action. In addition they possess very current and thorough knowledge of Australian industry sectors, the industrial relations environment that they operate in and the links with employment and training.

•   Development and endorsement of intermediate building industry qualifications for the Construction and Property Services ISC to meet a COAG directive
• Re-design and promotion of the national Credit Matrix concept undertaken for the Victorian Qualifications Authority (VQA).
• Strategic discussion papers on migrant skill skills recognition in the Asia-Pacific region for Australian Education International
• An Industry Environmental Scan and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Plan    for the Construction and Property Services ISC
• Quality criteria and guidance for development of consumer financial literacy training material for the Financial Literacy Foundation (Treasury, Canberra)
• Development of Migrant Assessment Guides for recognition of skilled migrants for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
• Design of a security training framework accreditation programme for the Air Cargo industry
• Development of the framework and structure of Regional Model Competency Standards used in    Asia and the Pacific region for the U.N. International Labour Organisation (ILO)

• Policy formation and implementation plan    for skills assessment of migrant workers for HRD Korea, Republic of Korea
• Review of three Construction Industry Training Packages and development of an Integrated Framework of qualifications for the construction industry plus continuous improvement work
• Development of policy and adopted implementation strategies for a new national qualifications framework in the United Arab Emirates.
• Review and re-drafting of two competency assessment policy and guidance publications for the Western Australia Department of Education and Training

1. Expectations of clients are agreed, transparent and central to contract deliverables
2. Reporting and recommendations reflect the views of those consulted not those of the consultant
3. Ideas and outcomes of contracted work are fully useable and targeted to the needs of the client
4. Reporting is on-time, understandable and relevant
5. Client confidentially is maintained at all times
6. Consultancy costs are charged as contractually agreed and expenses charged only as occurred

Profile ALA Director - Andre Lewis

Andre has provided leadership in industry and government organisations developing Australia's national training system for nearly 20 years. This is through major roles in national vocational education and training policy development, engagement of industry, implementation of industry and enterprise Training Packages and quality assurance of Registered Training Organisations.

In addition he has extensive knowledge of government policies and initiatives to support national skill development such as New Apprenticeships and meeting skill shortages and gaps.   Recognised as an expert in competency-based training implementation and forging strong and enduring links between industry and governments, Andre does not simply rely on extensive knowledge of how Australia's skill development initiatives work, but on providing improvements to implementation strategies and innovative solutions to problems.

Key Achievements: 

•   Leadership of the first industry led development of competency standards in Australia 
•   Principal architect of Australia's internationally respected system of industry Training Packages, their structure, role an implementation 
• Concept and formation of 10 high level Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) to strategically drive Australia’s national skill development 
• Enshrining outcomes as primary determinant of government quality assurance for vocational education and training 
• Establishing links and drivers for harmonising industrial licensing and regulatory frameworks with training system specifications 
• Development of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) Asian Region Skill Standards program

 Roles:

• Manager of Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), VET Quality Branch
• Group Manager with the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)  
• General Manager of National Training Board (NTB), Canberra
• Executive Director of Tourism Training Queensland; part of the national Tourism Training industry advisory network
• Associate Director in TAFE Queensland,
• 13 Years management in Tourism and Hospitality in Australia and overseas (UK Switzerland, USA) including Sydney Opera House; national hospitality consulting company; and marketing management for the XII Commonwealth Games Foundation.

• Masters degree in Educational Administration (UQ)
• Degree in Educational Studies (UQ)
• Diploma of Teaching    (Qld CAE)
•   Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management ( UK.)
• Graduate Certificate in Financial Administration (UNSW)

Professional Associations:

• Associate Fellow Australian Institute of Management
• Fellow Catering Institute of Australia
•   Member Institute of Company Directors

International experience:

Andre is regularly involved with high level international liaison and benchmarking activities particularly in Asia and the Pacific. He has advised Ministers, government department's agencies and industry organisations on industry led training strategies in Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Fiji and led workshops and delegations on competency-based training and industry development programs for APEC, the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank.

Andre has represented Australia in international benchmarking of national training frameworks that included England, Scotland, USA, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico.