Patrick McKendry - Chair

In November 2006, the Commonwealth Government appointed Patrick as Chairman of the National Quality Council (NQC). The NQC brings together industry, employee, government and practitioner representatives to oversee and support the current and future quality of vocational and technical education across Australia. In addition to this role, Patrick is Chairman of TVET Australia Pty Ltd. The owners of TVET Australia are the State, Territory and Commonwealth Ministers for Vocational and Technical Education (VTE). TVET's primary role is to provide support services for the key stakeholders in Australia's VTE system.

Patrick has also recently been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Careers Australia Group.

Prior to this appointment, Patrick was Executive Director of the National Retail Association, a national organisation that provided a range of professional services to industry and represented the interests of the retail sector to governments, the media and the wider community.

Patrick has led public policy for the retail industry and has been the industry's national advocate in major policy issues such as labour market reform and employment programs, vocational education and training, labour shortages, trade practice and competition policy.

In 2006, the Queensland Government appointed Patrick as a Director of the Workers' Compensation Regulatory Authority (Q-Comp) Board. He also serves as Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee for this Board.

He is a member of the Commonwealth Small Business Forum and the Brisbane Inner City Advisory Committee.

In September 2006, Patrick was selected to attend the ILO meeting on social and labour implications of the use of retail technologies in Geneva.