The Honourable Lynne Kosky, former state government minister and long-time western suburbs resident, was awarded an Honorary Degree by Victoria University on Wednesday 1 December 2010.
She was admitted to the degree of Doctor of the University Honoris Causa, in recognition of her long history of distinguished service to the State of Victoria, as well as her contributions to educational reform, particularly in the TAFE and school sectors.
Ms Kosky was the MP for Altona for more than 14 years and served as a minister for 10 years in successive state governments. She also served as a councillor at Footscray City Council between 1986 and 1990, including a year as mayor of Footscray in 1988.
Ms Kosky entered State Parliament as the ALP member for Altona in 1996. She was appointed minister for post compulsory education, training and employment when the Bracks government was elected in 1999. In this role, Ms Kosky drove the introduction of VCAL, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning as a vocationally focused alternative certificate to the VCE, the Victorian Certificate of Education. She also introduced the post-school destination study that provides details of the work, study or other pathways of all Year 12 graduates in Victoria.
In 2002 she took on responsibility for schools as minister for education and training and helped introduce the Blueprint for Education which emphasised standards and performance improvements for schools. She also led a major overhaul and modernisation of the 1958 Education Act. From 2006 until her retirement in early 2010, she held the portfolios of public transport and the arts.
Throughout her career Ms Kosky has maintained her strong links with the west. She was a member of the Victoria University Council from 1994 to 1996, and is a former director of the Footscray Football Club, now the Western Bulldogs.
Ms Kosky recently joined VU as a strategic consultant for the University's new Institute for Diversity, Educational Access and Success now under development.
