A pilot designed to help prospective international students learn about studying and post-work employability opportunities in select regional NSW locations has launched.
The Regional NSW Career Toolkit seeks to promote employability and wellbeing of students, as well as support the recovery of the NSW international education sector.
The free tool – launched by Global Study Partners and Successful Graduate, and funded by Study NSW – features an online career preparation course for students considering NSW, with initial support from two universities in the state – University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University.
Speaking at a launch event on April 27, Nicole Zabbal, director for Student Services & Partnerships at Global Study Partners, said that the mechanism is designed to “help boost the employability of international students, promote their wellbeing and support the recovery of the New South Wales international education sector”.
“We know that employment outcomes play a critical role in international student interaction strategies, but they also act as a catalyst for broader economic outcome,” she said.
“The toolkit seeks to provide access to reliable information for international students to make informed course selection choices. It is a technology enabled mechanism that helps decision making on education pathways that lead to potential employment in regional skilled shortage areas,” Zabbal continued.
On the GSP platform, study and career pathways are mapped out for the two identified sectors per region: comprising Allied Health and Information Technology in the Mid North Coast region and Education and Allied Health in the Illawarra region, she added.
Successful Graduate offers free access to the Regional NSW Career Preparation Course both at UOW and CSU, which is designed to support students who wish to understand what it is like to study, and subsequently apply for work in these prioritised occupations in regional NSW.
“The toolkit seeks to provide access to reliable information for international students”
Managing director of Successful Graduate, Gordon Scott, noted that in recent years the “concept of employability has really bubbled to the surface of the value proposition of the education industry to students”.
Pointing to recent IEAA research that found finding jobs, career orientation and employability are key concerns for international students and graduates, Scott said the pilot has allowed the two institutions to provide both assurance to students, but also potentially be used to encourage students to enrol.
“By working together with GSP and the broader course search function, there is an opportunity to develop this online training course in a version that will suit different institutions and different academic disciplines right across the country,” he noted.
“That’s the key part that we’re very excited about, and we’re keen to make that happen initially in New South Wales.”
ISANA International Education Association Inc is also supporting the project.
