Gold standard for curious students

Graduates today deserve more than a piece of paper and a wave goodbye. Long before they toss their caps in the air, they need a genuine experience of working in their chosen field.

This is why Swinburne University of Technology does more than just encourage Work Integrated Learning (WIL); 100 per cent of our undergraduate degrees now incorporate fully scaffolded WIL from first year to graduation.

Swinburne has led the way in this space for more than six decades. Our Horizon 2025 strategy, shaped during COVID-19’s upheaval of the labour market, has been laser-focused on this initiative.

Why? Because today’s job market demands it. Industry tells us that graduates need more than academic knowledge – they need professional experience. WIL equips our students with the skills and confidence they need to excel immediately in the workplace, and our scaffolded model ensures a meaningful experience, guided by dedicated WIL coordinators.

And we know this works. Thirty-five per cent of placement and 20 per cent of internship students receive direct job offers. Our students feel career-ready and their employers get well-prepared graduates. We find that the experience lights a fire for our students: participants are 36 per cent more likely to engage in activities like professional networking early in their careers, skills that take many of us years to develop.

It’s truly exciting to watch this process unfold. I’ve seen learners discover professions they never knew existed and go on to forge successful careers in those fields. This is why WIL isn’t just a trend; it’s the gold standard for education and the path forward for curious learners.

This article was originally published in The Australian Financial Review.