Graduate Careers Australia
Graduate Grapevine - Number 9, Summer 2007
NAGCAS: Onward & Upward
A Fond Farewell from Outgoing President, Peter McIlveen
The National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services is the pre-eminent representative of Australian university Careers Services and their personnel. In this brief summary, I will outline some of the major themes of the past two years in which I have served NAGCAS as President.
Spirit of Collaboration
NAGCAS is not a trade union or a business. It has no political or profit motives. It is a voluntary association of people who are committed to the advancement of career development for students and graduates within the higher education sector. Furthermore, NAGCAS members are committed to one another as colleagues in a spirit of collegiality, with the aim of developing professional skills and confidence.
When I first entered NAGCAS as a professional member I was struck by its ethos of openness and sharing for the betterment of the sector, students, graduates, NAGCAS members’ respective professions and one another. The sector has undergone tremendous changes in past years, yet throughout all of the turbulence NAGCAS has effectively held its own. So, it is with this introductory comment, that I salute all members of NAGCAS, and acknowledge their generosity of spirit and passionate commitment.
National and International Positioning
NAGCAS’ position as a national organisation is solid and acknowledged. It is a constituent member association of the Career Industry Council of Australia, the International Network of Graduate Recruitment and Development Association and variously serves on a number of Australian organisations and committees, such as Graduate Careers Australia, the MCEETYA Working Group on Career Development and the DEST Review of Career Development Services in Tertiary Institutions.
An indicator of NAGCAS' national significance is the awarding of a Carrick Institute competitive grant, in collaboration with the University of Wollongong, RMIT University, Flinders University, Monash University and the University of Southern Queensland. Along with other CICA Member Associations, NAGCAS also made a strong contribution to the International Symposium for Career Development and Public Policy.
University Careers Services continue to serve their institutions and students/graduates by working collaboratively with Australian employers to ensure that they have access to potential employees. Balancing the needs of those three groups is a significant responsibility and NAGCAS continues in its role of ensuring a fair approach for all.
The Organisation
As a voluntary organisation NAGCAS is dependent upon the generosity of individuals. In my time as President I have enjoyed the support of a tremendous team. Without doubt, the members who make up the national and divisional management committees deserve acknowledgement and thanks. Naturally enough, NAGCAS must evolve to maintain its capacity to keep up with changes in the sector and the membership. (For example, member numbers have grown from 161 to 210 in the past two years.)
While the growth in membership is vital to NAGCAS’ future, the Association must work to ensure that the organisation delivers on its promise to the membership. In 2006 I submitted a discussion paper to the national management committee, outlining some of the organisational issues that needed to be explored. The single most important issue, in an organisational sense, is that the Constitution must better reflect the membership with respect to a number of sector changes, most notably being the advent of the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners. In addition, the current structure of the management committee may need to be reconsidered to ensure that the balance between officers’ responsibilities and their capacity to deliver is optimal. For example, progress has already been made in nationalising the financial management of NAGCAS. Toward the aim of maintaining NAGCAS’ vigour, in 2008 there will be a number of significant proposals to change the Constitution, commencing with discussions at the national conference in 2007.
Adieu
In closing, I wish to thank my colleagues on the NAGCAS management committee for their commitment and support. I will continue on working with the management committee, but in the capacity of Immediate Past President. We have more work to do, and I am confident that the management committee and the new President will continue to advance NAGCAS.
Peter McIlveen, President of NAGCAS, 2006-08
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