Skills Frontier is a strategy and research consultancy helping governments, industry, and education leaders build the future workforce — with clarity, purpose and impact.
We specialise in skills policy, workforce planning, vocational education, and system reform. Our work translates evidence into action, ensuring that policy ambition connects with industry reality.
From national workforce strategies to sector reviews and training reform, we help clients navigate complexity with confidence — and deliver outcomes that matter. We’re known for sharp analysis, sector fluency, and deliverables that actually influence decision-making (not sit on a shelf).
Lauren Conceicao, Managing Director
“I founded Skills Frontier after two decades working across the skills, education and workforce system - from executive government and TAFE leadership, to national industry bodies and international research roles.”
Lauren has led multi-million dollar reform programs, shaped policy at Cabinet level, and built deep trust across public and private sectors. Her career has spanned roles such as Executive Director at TAFE NSW, National Executive of the National Apprentice Employment Network, and Deputy Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia (NSW).
Lauren understands how government works - and how to make it work better. She’s a systems thinker with a sharp sense for where policy and practice fall out of step - and what needs to happen to fix it.
Today, Lauren is a sought-after advisor, speaker, and strategist - helping leaders shape a fairer, smarter and more future-focused skills system.
Qualifications:
Master of Business Administration
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Current Working With Children Check
Police Clearance (SA and NSW)
AGSVA Baseline Security Clearance
Current advisory roles:
St Patricks Technical College Board
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB SA) Cross-Sector Planning Committee
AUSMASA Workplace Integrated Learning Technical Sub-Committee for the Vocational Degree
TAFE NSW Defence Industry Consultation and Reference Group Member
TAFE SA Regional Skills Advisory Committee - Barossa Valley
Our Associate Network
Skills Frontier has built a team underpinned by a network of skills sector and labour force experts.
Our team is flexible, working at the right level to deliver the expertise needed on a project-by-project basis at the optimal price point for our clients.
Bringing together expertise across policy, strategy, leadership, program delivery, sector expertise, government, private sector, labour market economics and corporate consulting, our team will be outlined in any proposal documents.
Meet some of our Associates:
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Associate (Defence)
Founder & Managing Director - ACE Strategies
Matt Neagle, Founder and Managing Director of Ace Strategies, brings over 25 years across government relations, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications, with deep grounding in Defence. He spent four years as the South Australian Government's Defence and Space Industries Ministerial Adviser during establishment of the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise, followed by three years as Director Stakeholder Engagement at KBR, seconded to the Naval Shipbuilding College to lead workforce skilling pathways, and as Senior Manager Industry Engagement at Raytheon Australia across the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise. He holds an NV-1 security clearance and sits on AmCham Australia's Defence and National Security Committee and the Defence Teaming Centre's Strategic Advisory Committee.
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Associate
Jo is a strategic and collaborative policy expert with extensive experience shaping public policy reform through research and advisory work. She has led complex reviews, managed multi-disciplinary teams and is adept at engaging stakeholders across government and industry, navigating competing priorities with fairness and integrity.
Jo’s career spans roles with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Office of the South Australian Training and Skills Commission, and Government Skills Australia.
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Strategic Adviser
Justin’s experience as a global consultant on strategic planning relating to workforce elevate Skills Frontier’s outputs to deliver results for clients that meet the modern expectations in a corporate setting.
Justin has led consulting, facilitation, data analysis and reporting for large clients, while also collating global qualitative and quantitative data to produce insights and reports that underpin thought leadership and sector innovation.
Let’s work together.
Skills Frontier builds project teams with the right experts for the right projects – partnering with organisations and individuals where their expertise adds to the deliverables and outcomes from Skills Frontier.
Contact us to express interest in joining our associate network and being considered for project opportunities, we’re also keen to connect with great people.