 |
| The first forum of the year for the NSW/ACT Chapter focused on WIL for international students. |
The ‘Unpacking
co-curricular options: WIL for International Students’ forum hosted by the ACEN NSW/ACT Chapter on 16 February provided an invaluable
opportunity to share and discuss a variety of delivery options for co-curricula
WIL, specifically initiatives for international students.
The nature of co-curricula activities presented in the case studies ranged from preparatory programs designed to introduce students to Australian workplace culture and enhance their competitiveness in the job market, through to more targeted programs and forums covering specific areas such as mentoring, professional development, leadership and employability.
The nature of co-curricula activities presented in the case studies ranged from preparatory programs designed to introduce students to Australian workplace culture and enhance their competitiveness in the job market, through to more targeted programs and forums covering specific areas such as mentoring, professional development, leadership and employability.
When reflecting on the case studies, a number of
considerations and challenges to co-curricula WIL were identified, as well as
possible approaches to addressing some of these issues.
For me personally, the top 3 take away(s) of the forum
were:
- The need to Integrate co-curricula activities with classroom learning and other WIL programs in order to maximise alignment with future WIL experiences students may have.
- To maximise the Authenticity of co-curricula activities, in particular those offered in-house/on-campus to ensure they provide opportunities for networking and (as much as possible) reflect real-life/authentic employment conditions.
- To consider the Transferability of co-curricula WIL to other disciplines, professions and universities in light of resourcing, scalability and equity issues.
What were your take away(s) from the forum?
Anna Rowe
Chapter Secretary
