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Michael Healy

Careers and employability learning expert

Dr. Michael Healy is a recognised leader in the field of career development and employability. An award-winning educator and researcher, his work focuses on promoting effective and accessible careers and employability learning in schools, universities, and human services. Michael combines scholarly expertise with practical wisdom, gained from his 15 years of professional experience, a PhD in career education, and high quality research publications.

Interests

  • Careers and employability learning
  • Work-integrated learning
  • Career development professional practice
  • Narrative career identity

Education

  • PhD, careers and employability learning

    University of Southern Queensland

  • Grad. Cert. Career Development and Education, 2015

    Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

  • Grad. Cert. Education, 2014

    Massey University

  • B.A. Hons, History, 2006

    University of Waikato

Publications

I have published my research in leading international journals and edited collections.

Michael Healy, Peter McIlveen, Jason. L Brown, Beatrice Van der Heijden, William E. Donald (2025). # 11 topics among 7,591 employability research abstracts (1942–2024): a structural topic model and call for interdisciplinary perspectives. Career Development International.

DOI

William E. Donald, Michael Healy (2024). Differentiating grapes from wine: The education-to-work transition. GILE Journal of Skills Development.

PDF DOI

Lauren Hansen, Bonnie Dean, Michael Healy, Deanne Gannaway, Barbie Panther, Jamie Mustard (2024). Finding the joy in complexity: Privileging the practitioner voice in graduate employability. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability.

PDF

Peter McIlveen, Michael Healy (2024). Dialogical self: co-investigator in career self-research. Narrative Career Counselling: From Theory to Practice in Diverse Cultures and Contexts.

DOI

Michael Healy (2023). Careers and employability learning: Pedagogical principles for higher education. Studies in Higher Education.

DOI

Michael Healy (2023). How emotions influence motivation and behaviour in career development learning.

PDF

Michael Healy, Sandra Cochrane, Paula Grant, Marita Basson (2023). LinkedIn as a pedagogical tool for careers and employability learning: a scoping review of the literature. Education + Training.

PDF DOI

Elizabeth Knight, Tom Staunton, Michael Healy (2022). About university career services’ interaction with edtech. Digital Transformation and Disruption of Higher Education.

DOI

Michael Healy, Jason L. Brown, Candy Ho (2021). Graduate employability as a professional proto-jurisdiction in higher education. Higher Education.

PDF DOI

Michael Healy (2021). Microcredential learners need quality careers and employability support. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability.

PDF DOI

Peter McIlveen, Harsha N. Perera, Jason L. Brown, Michael Healy, Sara Hammer (2021). Career Assessment. The Oxford Handbook of Career Development.

DOI

Michael Healy, Sara Hammer, Peter McIlveen (2020). Mapping graduate employability and career development in higher education research: A citation network analysis. Studies in Higher Education.

PDF DOI

Jason L. Brown, Michael Healy, Louise Lexis, Brianna Julien (2019). Connectedness learning in the life sciences: LinkedIn as an assessment task for employability and career exploration. Higher Education and the Future of Graduate Employability: A Connectedness Learning Approach.

PDF DOI

Jason L. Brown, Michael Healy, Tessa McCredie, Peter McIlveen (2019). Career services in Australian higher education: Aligning the training of practitioners to contemporary practice. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

DOI

Michael Healy, Peter McIlveen (2019). My career chapter: The dialogical self as author and editor of a career autobiography. Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice.

PDF

Michael Healy, Peter McIlveen, Sara Hammer (2018). Use of my career chapter to engage students in reflexive dialogue. The Dialogical Self Theory in education: A multicultural perspective.

PDF DOI

Awards

I have received several awards for excellence from various professional associations.

Award for Excellence in Leadership

Career Development Association of Australia Oct 2024

Outstanding Educator of Career Development Professionals

Asia-Pacific Career Development Association May 2023

Award for Excellence in Research

Career Development Association of Australia Oct 2022

Award for Excellence in Research

National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services Nov 2021

Award for Excellence in Professional Practice

Career Development Association of Australia, Queensland Division Nov 2021

Experience

I have extensive experience in leading careers and employability programs and teaching career development courses.

 
 
 
 
 

National Manager, Career Education

myfuture, Education Services Australia

Jul 2023 – Present Toowoomba, QLD
Leading professional development programs for Australian career development educators and providing expert advice to to myfuture.edu.au.
 
 
 
 
 

Head of Careers and Employability; Lecturer, Career Development

careerED Academy

Sep 2021 – May 2023 Toowoomba, QLD

Led the design and delivery of a range of qualifications and professional development programs for career development practitioners.

Lead lecturer in Graduate Certificate of Career Development, delivered in partnership with James Cook University.

 
 
 
 
 

Employability Coordinator

University of Southern Queensland

Mar 2018 – Sep 2021 Toowoomba, QLD

Led a range of services and programs designed to enhance the employability, graduate outcomes, and entrepreneurial mindset of USQ students.

Collaborated with academics to incorporate careers and employability learning and work-integrated learning into the curricula of degree programs.

 
 
 
 
 

Careers and Employability Educator

La Trobe University

Mar 2015 – Mar 2018 Melbourne, VIC

Developed a comprehensive career education curriculum in support of Career Ready Advantage, a major institution-wide employability initiative.

Collaborated with academics to incorporate careers and employability learning and work-integrated learning into the curricula of degree programs.

 
 
 
 
 

Career Development Consultant

RMIT University Vietnam

Jun 2012 – Mar 2015 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Led the development and delivery of Career Passport, a blended careers and employability learning program delivered to more than 200 students per trimester.
 
 
 
 
 

Academic English Educator

RMIT University Vietnam, Waikato University

Nov 2006 – Jun 2012 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Hamilton New Zealand
Taught English language, writing, and research skills in English for Academic Purposes programs.

Presentations and webinars

Is there Strength in our Diversity? panel discussion

Panel discussion for the International Network of Employers and University Careers Services.
Feb 28, 2023 12:00 AM — 7:42 PM Online
Slides

Careers and Employability Learning in Higher Education: Pedagogical Principles and Process

Research presentation delivered in collaboration with Dr. Jason Brown.
May 20, 2022 12:00 AM — 7:42 PM Online
Slides

International practitioner research panel

My experience of PhD research in career development practice.
Feb 28, 2022 12:00 AM — 7:42 PM Online
Slides

UQ Employability Symposium, plenary panel

A panel discussion for the University of Queensland faculty of Business, Economics, and Law.
Oct 27, 2021 12:00 AM — 7:42 PM Brisbane, QLD
Slides

Employability: What, when, where, how and for whom?

A panel discussion for the Needed Now in Higher Education online symposium.
May 27, 2021 12:00 AM — 7:42 PM Online
Slides
See all talks

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