Angela Dressler

Angela Dressler was a senior lecturer who designed and coordinated the Career Development and Employability (CDE) program in the College of Sport and Exercise Science.

She has a postgraduate qualification of Master of Career Development combined with a Bachelor of Education - Physical Education. She has also worked in state government and education, and during her career has built extensive sport and recreation industry networks.  

The CDE program has achieved a shift in the way students and academic staff think about the value of work experience. From considering it 'just' work experience to realising that it plays a critical part in providing authentic achievements that result in highly employable graduates.

CDE is a fully integrated program that progressively imparts to university students imperative career development insights, experiences and mind sets. Using curriculum concerning career building, students are encouraged to employ career strategies, develop job seeking skills and ensure they graduate with industry experience and networks.

Thousands of student evaluations of the program consistently recognised both the value and major contribution to the students' employability and the engaging manner it was delivered.

The CDE holistic, integrated program was developed and directed by Angela for 20 years, with a staff team of up to nine people. She has been recognised for her teaching in Higher Education with a number of awards.

Angela now mentors the current CDE team academics, sessional staff and project officer and assists the university with projects related to career development and employability.

Recent publications

Refereed publications

Dressler, Angela (2008) Career Placement Program: a journey from an empty to a full resume. WACE/ACEN Asia Pacific Conference 2008 E-Proceedings Ed. University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 141-147.

Betts, K., Lewis, M., Dressler, A., & Svensson, L. (2009). Optimizing curricula and learning simulation to support a quinary career development model. Asian-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 10(2), 99-119. ISSN: 1175-2882. (B ranked journal)

View Angela's publications in the Victoria University Research Repository.

Refereed conference presentations

Dressler, A. (2014). Graduates Building Bridges to Employment Planned and Unplanned Career Destinations after a Recreation Management Internship. WACE 10th International Symposium on Cooperative & Work-Integrated Education: Creating an Excellent Foundation for CWIE Research. Sweden.

Dressler, A. (2008). Career Placement Program: a journey from an empty to a full resume. WACE 15^th World Conference on Cooperative Education and Work Integrated Learning.

Betts, K., Lewis, M., Dressler, A., & Svensson, L. (2009). Beam Me Up Scotty II. WACE 16^th World Conference on Cooperative Education and Work Integrated learning: An International Dialogue in Vancouver presentation

Dressler, A. (2010). Engaging Career Development Assessment: Maximising Learning in the Workplace. In Campbell, M. (Ed.) Work Integrated Learning – Responding to Challenges: Proceedings of the 2101 ACEN National Conference, (pp. 104 – 114). Perth, September 29 – October 1, 2010

Teaching and coordination responsibilities

• Coordination and teaching for the Sport and Recreation Career Development 1 and 2 units
• Teaching two-day workshops for graduating students from Human Movement/ Exercise Science Degrees

Teaching awards

• 2012 Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Teaching Excellence Award 2012
• 2011 Victoria University Vice Chancellors Citation for Outstanding Engagement
• 2010 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Australian Learning and Teaching Council)
• 2009 Victoria University Vice Chancellors Peak Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (Higher Education)
• 2009 Victoria University Vice Chancellors Citation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (Higher Education)
• 2009 Victoria University Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Executives Dean's Award Teaching Excellence
• 2009 Finalist Sport and Recreation Victoria Education Award for keeping the sport and recreation industry thriving.
• 2008 Australian Government Scholarship for Career Advisors in recognition for commitment and hard work in the area of career development in a university
• 2008 Runner up in the Career Development Association of Australia Career Counselling Excellence Award

Industry experience

From 1980-1985 Angela was Recreation Officer for the “Life. Be in it Program” with the Department of Youth Sport and Recreation Victoria.

She designed and implemented a training course for over 1000 community group leaders to conduct Life. Be in it games, initiated and established the 'Corporate Cup' running competition for Melbourne City workers, wrote a major segment of the 'Huff n Puff' physical education package provided to every primary school in Victoria to resource teachers with fun activities to improve children’s fitness.

When aerobics was first intorduced in Australia, Angela initiated, researched, designed and implemented a 10 week government accredited training program for aerobics instructors.