The Australian government’s trade, investment and education promotion agency, Austrade, has announced the first of its suite of micro-credentials for international students and graduates as part of its ongoing Digital Education Hub program.
The Work Readiness Micro-credential, designed in partnership with Successful Graduate, provides tools and resources to successfully navigate the jobs market in both Australia and around the world.
“We have built material that will suit the job readiness preparation of students for most markets, thus it is designed for students and graduates entering work globally,” Gordon Scott, managing director of Successful Graduate, told The PIE.
“The training supports students to understand the key elements associated with the job application process”
“Our work on this project with the Australian government is designed to support students to improve student self-awareness and then prepare the building blocks for job applications. The training then supports students to understand the key elements associated with the job application process.”
Content ranges from how to apply for internships and part-time work, to entrepreneurship, personality tests and managing work relationships; graduate job search prep resources, and also features employability tools such as application, interview and negotiation tips.
The course is freely available to all international students: graduates, current and prospective; onshore and offshore, and is designed to support students educated at Australian providers to “be among the most employable in the world”, Scott added.
With sustained marketing, the program hopes to attract more than 10,000 enrolments in 12 months as part of the pilot program, which is initially rolling out in India.
“This installation is one of several initiatives that Study Australia is rolling out under the Digital Education Hub program,” Scott continued.
Austrade’s Digital Education Hub project is designed to support ongoing engagement with Australia’s global student community, and to “enhance the student experience, and support improved work-while-you-study and graduate outcomes”.
It includes integrated digital campaigns, improved digital content via Study Australia, student digital resources including a course search tool, links to virtual events and a new partner portal for providers and agents.
The new employability program also complements existing work readiness provisions at education providers, Scott added.
“Successful Graduate’s business model involves providing client-branded job readiness and employability training course material for clients to distribute to their students to deliver mass student work preparation at scale. We encourage students to then engage with on-campus careers teams who can work with better-prepared students to pursue work placement activity. Ultimately, each client ends up with better employment outcomes.”
Participants who complete the course will receive a digital certificate that can be shared with professional networks and potential employers.
Austrade has also partnered with FutureLearn on free online courses for global learners in 16 key markets in decline or at risk. It announced a five-year partnership with the online specialist in March 2021.
