At Swinburne, we guarantee industry immersion for all our vocational students. Why? Because being connected to industry, really connected, from day one, is what gets you noticed and kick starts your career.

As a Swinburne vocational student, you will experience multiple industry immersions throughout your studies with us. These unique learning experiences will help you graduate skilled and ready to enter the workforce.

What is Swinburne’s Future of Work Lab?

Swinburne’s Future of Work Lab is your education working for you. It’s about taking industry engagement to the next level where you’ll get the chance to connect with industry and gain meaningful work experience that means something to you and your next employer.

You’ll get to collaborate with our expert industry partners, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco Systems and Two Bulls, and leverage your Swinburne learning into industry-recognised experience. 

The Lab encourages both virtual and physical activities which complement your vocational study and allow for active learning, collaboration, learning through social experiences, peer-to-peer networking and access to a student co-working space.

There’s a limit to how much you can learn in the classroom alone, and Swinburne's Future of Work Lab is busting down the door into the most important career in the world right now – yours.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity for tomorrow’s talent (you) to get a head start today. A chance to network, utilise mentors and turn learned skills onto real industry problems.
 

  • “I love the idea of shifting the model of learning to be less about what course you chose when you were 17, and more about engagement with industry. Our team is strongly supported by the work that Swinburne is doing, especially with the Future of Work Lab.”

    Jason O'Donnell , Managing Director, Two Bulls

What will I learn with the Future of Work Lab?

Experience the real world of work from day one. 

The traditional workplace is in a state of transition and Swinburne’s Future of Work Lab pairs you with boots-on-the-ground industry experts, who will prepare you for the rapidly changing digital economy.


The Lab operates across a range of activities and industry immersions to boost disruption-led skills and attributes. These include: 

  • design sprints
  • industry consultations and projects
  • workshops and seminars
  • applied research collaborations
  • co-designed and delivered education programs.


These opportunities promote active learning – through social experiences, peer-to-peer connections and a co-curricular student space – where you’ll learn:

  • what it means to be future-ready, by working on real issues affecting industry across the world
  • to collaborate creatively with peers and experts across different areas of expertise and from diverse discipline areas
  • to tackle challenges and identify opportunities beyond the skills gap to develop different sets of disruption-led innovation competencies
  • to explore problems, develop an innovative mindset, and embed behaviours that seed creativity
  • how to be curious and pragmatic.


These new skills will help you to discover greater career opportunities and be championed as talented change agents of tomorrow.

How to engage with the Future of Work Lab?

Always accessible

The Future of Work Lab is located at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus and can be accessed online and as an always-on pop-up store.

Industry engagement

Meet, speak, learn. Build invaluable networks to position yourself and shape your career with expert advice at the industry level.

Industry insight

Learn what industry is doing today, to lead it tomorrow. Engage in meaningful campaigns that solve complex industry problems.

Ongoing commitment to innovation in vocational education 

The Future of Work Lab was born from Swinburne’s experience in pathways and vocational education and is part of our ongoing mission to be the best provider of vocational education in Australia, known for both industry and community connections. We are proud to be known for excellence in student-focused learning centred around the theme of ‘access’: 

● access to achievement 

● access to higher education programs 

● access to employment


We are committed to preparing you for a new world of work, providing both the technical and human skills required to be successful. Experience the real world of work from day one of your education journey overlayed with digital skills – a signature of Swinburne’s future-ready learning.

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Contact the Future of Work Lab

Whether you’re a new student, current student, or trying to decide if Swinburne is the right place for you, we want to hear from you. Contact us via futureworklab@swinburne.edu.au.

Contact us