Exactly 50 years to the day since 552 students began their studies at the Bundoora-based Melbourne campus, Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar has launched Career Ready Advantage, a new comprehensive initiative that gives today’s 35,000 students an edge in the highly competitive jobs market.
Focusing on personal, as well as skills development, the program has been developed in collaboration with students and a wide range of employers – ensuring the program is delivering graduates who will meet the existing and future workforce needs – including jobs which aren’t even in existence yet.
Supported by an extensive Career Ready team, the program is supported by an innovative new app and dedicated website, and has been “gamified” to cater to technology-savvy students who can unlock additional features and benefits as they progress through the initiative.
“At La Trobe University we are giving all of our students a new opportunity to build much more than a set of technical skills. Career Ready Advantage will help students make their career goals a reality and develop a much broader set of personal attributes and key skills that employers want and will empower each individual to thrive,” Professor Dewar said.
“Working with international consultancy PwC, and a broad range of employers, we’ve identified that the skills relating to social intelligence and cognitive flexibility are vital in a modern workplace.
“Employers also tell us they need people who are motivated and passionate about their work, who can bounce back from failure and adapt as they face change, are curious to learn more, and are able to think from the perspectives of others. In short, they display resilience, curiosity, empathy and passion.”
“Until now not enough was being done to foster these strengths in University students. Career Ready Advantage will deliver a real solution for both students and employers,” Professor Dewar said.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Leigh Drake said: “We are offering La Trobe students a new personalised online self-assessment and the ability to track progress via their individual dashboard in the Career Ready app. The Career Ready team will help our students to promote their strengths and to identify where they need to develop more.”
“The La Trobe Career Ready Advantage is a comprehensive and integrated program, including online skills related learning resources that will ensure students can make the most of internships, work experience and volunteering.
“Students will learn how to stand out from the pack and confidently communicate their story and value to future employers,” he said.
Activities offered through Career Ready Advantage include:
- Work experience and internship opportunities
- Volunteering experiences
- Mentoring programs
- Entrepreneurial challenges
- High quality online learning courses via LinkedIn Learning
- Networking events with employers
- Career Ready Bootcamps
- Career Management workshops and masterclasses
More information on Career Ready Advantage is available at: www.latrobe.edu.au/career-ready
Media Contact: Tim Mitchell – t.mitchell@latrobe.edu.au - 9479 5246/0437 457 780
