Graduate Careers Australia
ergo - Number 94 March 2004
2003 NAGCAS Annual Conference - Lismore
It was a steamy morning in the southern-most part of Queensland which greeted delegates to the 2003 NAGCAS (National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) Conference at Coollongatta Airport, and the weather was not the only thing which would have a tropical theme throughout the coming days. The event began for some with a scenic tour down the north-east coast of New South Wales, with delegates meeting that evening for an introductory barbeque.
Day One - Opening
The Conference proper kicked off on Monday 1 December, and delegates from all over Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom met for three days of professional development, information sessions, and the opportunity to share knowledge and experience with their peers in the graduate employment sector.
Opening the proceedings was the Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University, Professor John Rickard, who had some interesting comments to make about specialist courses of study and the overall role of university education in Australian society.Following an address from Mark Cully, General Manager of NCVER about job change factors, the program progressed to the first of three elective sessions, covering a range of topics relevant to the operation of careers services. These included programs for postgraduate and rural students, internal marketing and structured communication.
Before lunch the second elective was held, and a modest but vocal crowd attended my “Getting the most out of gradlink” session, in which I spruiked the free resources available on the gradlink website – www.gradlink.edu.au
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Showcase Sessions
The afternoon saw the first of two showcase sessions, where careers services from around the country presented for ten minutes on some recent innovations, and this contest was scored by the audience to be awarded later in the conference. Dinner that night was at a celebrated local restaurant called Henry’s, named after a local legend concerning a particularly plucky crocodile.
Tuesday began with some information sessions about various developments in the Higher Ed/careers sector including CICA and the National Blueprint for Career Development, and these were followed by morning tea and the chance to browse stalls as part of the conference Trade Fair. The third and final elective sessions followed before lunch, covering some interesting topics such as career mentoring and helping elite athletes negotiate university choices, followed by more Trade Fair as the day began to really heat up – reflected in the strikingly informal clothing choices of many of the delegates.
Conference Dinner
The afternoon featured the second and final showcase session and the special interest groups, while other delegates went back to their digs to prepare for the extravaganza which was the Conference Dinner. This latter event was held on-campus in a room which had been transformed with pillars, lights and an impressive AV display, into a mock-Hollywood awards night, and many delegates entered into the spirit of the occasion by dressing up – keen observers would have noticed Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Uma Thurman and Elvis among the crowd that night. The highlight of the evening’s proceedings was for many the young ballroom dancing couple who punctuated the “awards” with a series of choreographed routines.
Careers Service Hypothetical
Wednesday saw the heat continue and a rather rowdy “careers service hypothetical” session run by our own ED Cindy Tilbrook, which threw up some very interesting situations and some highly creative solutions from both the expert panel and the audience. Morning tea was a good opportunity for delegates to strengthen the networking activity of the past two days and for many to say goodbye, as after some wrapping-up comments the conference began to disperse. Overall it had been a very enjoyable and relaxed conference, and we at the GCCA are looking forward to the next NAGCAS event in Western Australia, which was very ably promoted by Julie Howell of Edith Cowan University.
Dugald McNaughtan
Communications Coordinator, GCCA
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