Teaching & Learning
Industry Connections
It’s that type of phone call that drives me to be the best lecturer I can be. For students to be able to make that call, it requires them to understand the workplace, and find a potential career that they’re passionate about. From my experience many students don’t engage with education because they’re unsure where it will lead, or the career potential. I work hard to help students decide upon an early career goal – or at very least a career direction. Facilitating industry engagement through authentic assessment, internships and other networking opportunities allows students to better understand potential career options and focus on what they’re passionate about. Once students find their “calling”, they engage with course content and work hard to achieve their career goals. Having a career plan, and implementing it is really important, but you can’t develop a plan if you don’t have a clear goal. Once a student realises that there are amazing career options available to them, and they find their “calling”, it’s hard to hold them back.

It’s sometimes hard to justify organising WIL events that seemingly benefit a minority of students. The benefits to students that participate are obvious, but there are benefits for all students. In this initial run for the White House, Barak Obama famously used social media to tell American’s it was time for change. Retirees in Florida were key to his success, but at that time hadn’t embraced social media. The answer? Through social media Obama’s team asked younger Americans to visit or call their parents/grandparents in Florida and tell them it was time for change. In a similar way, students who participate in WIL events pass on key messages to other students. Opportunities for other events often come about, and through recording these sessions, or even just through the added industry understanding gained by staff, other students will undoubtedly benefit.
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