GCCA | Graduate Careers Council of Australia

Graduate Careers Australia

Graduate Grapevine - Number 10, Autumn 2008

NAGCAS Carrick Project Update – April 2008

In the last issue of Graduate Grapevine we introduced you to the Career Development Learning: Maximising the Contribution of Work Integrated Learningto the Student Experience project. In this the first edition of Grapevine for 2008, Martin Smith (Project Leader, University of Wollongong) gives us an update on the progress this important project has made since last year.

The National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS) has been successful in receiving funds from the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching to conduct a scoping study on the topic Career Development Learning: Maximising the Contribution of Work Integrated Learning to the Student Experience.

This scoping study will use applied research to identify a number of effective programs and initiatives that incorporate career development learning into a variety of work integrated learning approaches that involve university, industry and community engagement.

The project commenced in December 2007, when the annual NAGCAS conference provided the opportunity to start the research process. The preparatory work prior to the project’s December launch involved:

• data collection through online questionnaires from three main stakeholders: Careers Services; university staff involved in work integrated learning; and business/industry involved in work integrated learning
• follow up interviews
• additional document collection.

Selected programs will be presented as anonymous case studies at a national Symposium which will take place in Melbourne on Thursday 19 June 2008. The Symposium is designed to further develop understandings, share practice methods and move toward the establishment of appropriate working frameworks. Along with developing related resources, the aim is to provide support to all stakeholders in the facilitation of student involvement in work integrated learning, where career development learning enhances their overall experience.

The Symposium will be chaired by Professor Richard Johnstone, Executive Director of the Carrick Institute. The following Symposium leaders, who are experts in their respective fields, will be facilitating discussions.

• Professor Tony Watts – UK: Career Development Learning
• Professor Belinda McLennan – Victoria University, Australia: Work integrated Learning
• Dr Amy Kenworthy-U’Ren – Bond University (and USA perspectives): Service Learning
• Associate Professor Simon Barrie – Australia: Graduate Attributes

Invited Symposium delegates will be identified via the current research process. This is where universities, business and industry respond to requests for examples of how career development learning is embedded within WiL activities via an online questionnaire. Where the Project Leaders Group believes good practice is underway from the completed surveys, follow up field research will take place during April/May, which aims to gather more detailed information to be shared via the Symposium and within related project publications – such as the Practice Manual for Higher Education Institutions.

These delegates will reflect the education/work interface. It is hoped to have a strong representation from relevant professional associations and industry bodies. Each university will also be invited to have a representative from their Careers Service to attend.

In addition, given that Minister Gillard, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations recently announced the review of higher education – with a strong focus on the connections between higher education and workplace productivity – it is expected that a number of federal government representatives will also be invited.

It is envisaged that the invited Symposium participants will contribute in the following ways:

• prepare for the Symposium workshop discussion by completing pre-reading and gathering any relevant information materials to contribute to discussions
• provide additional perspectives on key literature and policy developments relevant to the project
• actively contribute to the strategies and processes on the day of the Symposium to realise our objectives of sharing, learning and inspiring the sector
• take ownership of specific functions and roles for each workshop session on the day
• continue to support the aims of the project and promote ways of strengthening WiL through inclusion of career development learning/employability elements.

Invited delegates travelling from interstate will be able to apply for partial remuneration of travel costs to attend the Symposium.

The outcomes of the Symposium will feed into the development of relevant policies, frameworks and resources which will be trialled within the sector in September/October.

The longer term outcomes of the NAGCAS Carrick project will contribute to the broader aim of enhanced career development learning and positive student transitions in Australian universities, through:

• direct services to students in metropolitan and regional campuses; supporting students work and career development throughout their university experience by careers, academic and other university staff
• support for academic staff and units in delivering workplace learning initiatives and facilitating learning outcomes
• effective student monitoring and recording of WiL and related graduate attributes though e-portfolios and similar mechanisms, which will link to national Diploma Supplement considerations
• facilitation of industry stakeholders’ uptake or redevelopment of work integrated learning programs in metropolitan and regional settings.

For additional information about the project please refer to the project website: www.usq.edu.au/nagcascarrickproject .

The NAGCAS Carrick Project Leaders Team includes: Sally Brooks (RMIT); Peter McIlveen (USQ); Peter Torjul (Flinders); Joanne Tyler (Monash); and Martin Smith (Wollongong).

Contact Martin Smith – NAGCAS Carrick Project Leader – for further details: [email protected] or phone +61 2 4221 3324.