LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. Emerging skills gaps and unmet demand in the University’s catchments are identified through environmental scanning and labour market analysis. ECU’s schools maintain close relationships with local industry representatives in their disciplines and ECU Course Consultative Committees ensure that current courses and programs provide graduates with skills that continue to be relevant to the needs of employers. Labour market priorities at the local, regional and national level are identified by working with industry representatives and new courses and programs of study are developed in consultation with these partners. ECU also works with State Government agencies (e.g. the WA Department of Education), as significant local employers for workforce planning purposes, so that the future needs of the State can be anticipated. The employability of ECU graduates is supported through a range of strategies, developed to achieve the aims of the ECU Student Success Blueprint, 2018-2021. These include: Embedding experiential learning and career development learning in all course curricula. A focus on early assessment of communication skills – as a key graduate employability requirement – in courses, followed by planned interventions for students. “WIL Learning Communities”, for the sharing of good practice in design, delivery, assessment and evaluation of work-integrated learning in all disciplines. Volunteering opportunities, alumni mentoring and student mobility activities that develop students’ skills and business knowledge in real-world settings. A data investigation into graduate employment outcomes to inform the Careers and Employability Services team deployments and interventions. Embedding graduate employment outcomes in course and program reviews and assessments as part of the ECU Learning Journey Analytics project. ECU’s admissions and enrolment processes provide careers advice and guidance to future students. Course information includes clear signposts to career opportunities, so that applicants can make informed decisions about what to study. The University’s Course Approval system ensures that labour market strategies are taken into account in developing both new course offerings and amending existing courses. New courses require a thorough business case, with explicit consideration of current and future student and employer demand. ECU’s Academic Board is responsible for approving new and amended course proposals, based on its assessment of the on...
LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. The University will maintain a strong commitment to students' employment outcomes through its undergraduate programs, professional entry graduate programs and professional entry Masters programs. The University will expand three specific areas of its curriculum in these programs through its Work Integrated Learning strategy: Applied and authentic practice activities in first and second-year undergraduate programs; University-led projects in second and third-year undergraduate and graduate coursework programs; and Industry and partner-led projects in third-year undergraduate and graduate coursework programs. The University has a commitment to extending the number and quality of capstone projects available to all undergraduate students through its Student Life strategy. Through the Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education, the University will develop a greater number of programs that respond to identified skills gaps and labour market needs, for particular student groups, and in specific business and industry verticals. The University will increase the number of students who participate in its online Employment Fundamentals modules which are available for every undergraduate and postgraduate student. These five free online modules directly target students work ready skills in the areas of business fundamentals, data fundamentals, legal fundamentals, professional communication fundamentals and entrepreneurship fundamentals. The University will develop greater capacity in its Careers and Employability area which will be reflected in a greater number of service and support for consultations with students in the area of employability and success. The University is committed to the ongoing evolution of the Melbourne curriculum to ensure that it continues to provide a distinctive option for prospective students and a premium educational experience that equips graduates for their lives and careers. Over the next period, the University will give particular attention to the educational pathways within the curriculum architecture, the academic advising provided for students, and the various experiences and support provided to prepare students for employment.
LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. The University has established links with the external community to inform our internal operations such as course development, identifying skills gaps, identifying opportunities to address employability, and providing additional practical and on-the-job learning opportunities for our students. Xxxxxxx is a member of the Australian Association of Graduate Employers and staff of the Careers and Employability team regularly meet to discuss graduate employment and labour market trends with local members. Information from this group is shared with discipline areas as well as informing career activities developed by Careers and Employability. The Careers and Employability support team have an active industry engagement program and work with industry to represent careers to students in targeted disciplines. Industry representatives act as guest speakers, mentors, presenters and exhibitors at career fairs and other professional events. Xxxxxxx University is currently developing an employability strategy led by the Pro Vice Chancellor (Education) and the Careers and Employability team. This effort has involved consultation with industry, students and academic staff to ascertain the skills required by industry and how university academic units are assisting students to prepare to meet the needs of the future labour market. The strategy will involve a university-wide approach to employability, ensuring that not only all students have an active engagement in their own development, but that academic staff are supported with tools to help embed employability through curriculum. Students will have the opportunity to experience real world work opportunities, both in curriculum and in co-curricular offerings. Three career development units (Xxxxxxx Careers Spine) are already required for all Xxxxxxx students in non-professional degrees and assist student to identify career direction and explore opportunities for work-related experiences as well as upskilling with micro-credentialled online courses. General and discipline customised career development and job search programs are coordinated by the Careers and Employability team. This team also works closely with academic programs to assist in delivering career and labour market information in teaching. The University has identified the need to develop co-designed, co-created and co-delivered education programmes. This has been translated into a set of strategic imperatives that inform our 2020 Operational Plan. Success in t...
LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. In this section the University should refer to information on: strategies for identifying skills gaps within the relevant student and business catchments strategies for meeting labour market priorities at a local, regional and/or national level strategies to address employability and graduate attribute skills gaps to ensure students are work-ready the application of these strategies to admissions and enrolments how labour market strategies are taken into account in developing course offerings. New qualifications are developed to meet local and national labour market needs. Labour market strategies are incorporated into the development and revision of course offerings in a variety of ways. This includes broader strategic university engagement with government and industry as well as engagement at local disciplinary levels. At a disciplinary level industry are engaged with course development and design in several ways including through Course Quality Advisory Group (CQAG) and Industry Reference Groups. The University undertakes regular market scans to identify labour market gaps at a national, state and regional level. Undergraduate and Postgraduate course opportunities are investigated and a business case prepared. This utilizes Commonwealth and State data and Labour market research, advice from RDA's and local government, from industry and professional bodies and from our Educational partners. A key part of the course approval process is a market demand assessment including information on how the course meets labour market need and information on career/employment opportunities. This advice is prepared independently of the College instigating the course proposal. Examples of broader strategic engagement include senior representation on industry workforce groups (e.g. Defence Industries Education Skills Consortium) Applied Technologies (Industry 4.0), Aged Care) engagement with professional bodies and with our industry partners. Flinders NT and Flinders Rural Health have strong partnerships in regional, rural and remote areas. Additionally, academic and professional staff regularly engage with industry through processes related to the establishment and further development of work integrated learning opportunities for our students. This information is fed back through to CQAG and discipline leaders to be addressed via course improvement or development. The University has Industry based pathways in areas such as postgraduate Nursing, from the military through ...
LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. In line with the University's approved Strategic Plan 2020-2026, an A + B = C learning model is being established where A = Essential Knowledge (i.e. Scientific Diving skills), B = Professional Knowledge (i.e. Marine Science) and C = enhanced employability and career efficacy. This unique pedagogical approach naturally spans VET and Higher Education domains and is particularly suited to the university's Coffs Harbour tri-sectoral (High School, TAFE and University) campus and adjacent Innovation Hub. Admissions, enrolments and development of graduate attributes are guided by the market analysis as well as consolidation of the advice provided by industry partners, accreditation authorities, and advisory boards. The work of the University's Careers and Employability team builds connectivity with employers and provides insight into career and labour market trends affecting graduates and course developers alike. The close alignment of the university's courses and labour market is reflected by the fact the university's graduates enjoy starting salaries higher than the majority of the sector. In key disciplines such as Nursing, employment rates approach 100%, while hospitality graduates from The Hotel School — a joint venture between Southern Cross and Mulpha Australia —enjoy up to 92% employment rates within the industry. The University's Community Engaged Learning policy requires all courses to feature engaged (experiential) learning. Our Live Ideas engagement program supports other forms of engaged learning outside of the internship focused units, to increase the level of experiential and authentic learning through engaging with real world contexts. This is university wide and focuses on these enabling skills often not taught directly in courses. The university's course development process mandates analysis of employer demand and job outlook — using sources such as the Department of Education market portal, xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx, ABS and Professional Bodies — at the first stage of course development (EOI). Course proposals which are approved for further development must include more detailed market analysis before they are considered for final approval.
