Announcement

ACCE’s previous CEO, Bernadette Gigliotti, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia General Division - citation for services to secondary and vocational education (8/6/2026).

The ACCE Board and staff congratulate Bernadette for the Award in recognition of her life led in the service of others. Not only did Bernadette build the Australian Centre for Career Education (previously CEAV Inc) to become the Association it is today, but she also held the role of President of The Career Industry Council of Australia (2010–2014). 

Bernadette played a major role in enhancing career education and development in Australia, and highlighting the value that career professionals make in the lives of others on a daily basis. Her work has showcased the positive contribution that career development makes to young people, adults and vulnerable members of the community.

During her career she promoted career development as a necessary lifelong process, essential for all Australians to support transitioning through life successfully. She was particularly concerned about supporting disadvantaged cohorts to access career education and pathways to employment to reduce social isolation and promote inclusion.

Here are just a few of her contributions to the career sector:

• Championing equitable access to high-quality career education and development so that young people and vulnerable cohorts are empowered to make informed decisions about their learning, work and future pathways.
• More than two decades working across government, Catholic, and Independent Schools, TAFEs, universities, and industry organisations in areas spanning career counselling, vocational education, curriculum design and workforce development.
• Supporting the introduction of the Professional Standards for Australian Career Practitioners and national initiatives such as the Australian Blueprint for Career Development.
• Leading the transformation of the Career Education Association of Victoria.
• Strengthening national support for career practitioners.
• Leading sector professional learning and rolling out accredited career qualifications by establishing the ACCE RTO, CEAV Institute.
• Through her advocacy there were major reforms including Victoria’s $109m investment in career education and the establishment of the My Career Insights program - available to all Year 9 students in Victorian Government Secondary Schools and alternative settings.
• Designing and leading pioneering programs such as the World of Work on Wheels bus delivering STEM career learning to 6,000 government school students in rural and remote schools.
• Launching 60 online industry immersion programs for disadvantaged students.
• Establishing the Jobs Victoria Career Counselling service for Victorians from 2021-2023.
• Redesigning the CEAV Institute accredited career courses for First Nations learners to develop a First Nations Career Workforce.

Read more about her work through in our Impact Reports here