Equipping university graduates with the practical skills needed to help Australia prosper into the future is the focus of a new strategy released this month.
The National Strategy on Work Integrated Learning aims to encourage more companies to take on students through work-based placements. Practical placements will not only improve links between business and universities, but will also help students put theoretical knowledge into practice – ultimately leading to better-equipped graduates.
The strategy is a collaboration of the Ai Group, Universities Australia, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Business Council of Australia and the Australian Collaborative Education Network.
High-level workforce skills are a vital factor in building knowledge economies that are globally competitive.
Industry research has shown that graduates with innovative and entrepreneurial skills are essential for Australian businesses to succeed into the future.
In announcing the strategy, Chief Executive of Ai Group, Innes Willox, said employers regularly expressed concerns over a lack of problem solving, teamwork and communications skills among graduates.
He said while many examples of work-based learning, such as internships, existed in Australia, it was not common practice across all industries.
The national strategy aims to establish a more coherent and embedded framework, which will help ensure science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills are more productively developed and utilised.
For more information on the strategy, click here.