This year, Careers Advisor Jim Ward was invited to an orientation at the impressive new Liverpool campus of Western Sydney University.
Western Sydney University is a very important choice for many of our graduates. With the new Liverpool campus now open right next to Westfield Shopping Centre, the convenience and vision of this important and forward thinking university is becoming more apparent. The philosophy of placing campuses near public transport and shopping hubs and facilitating movement between these is a sound one and should benefit many of our students. Added to this is an extremely flexible and encouraging entry policy that allows multiple pathways. The True Rewards system which allows students into first year on the basis of solid performance in only a few HSC subjects endeavours to gear success towards a student's strengths, knowing that a more comprehensive achievement will almost certainly manifest itself as a student progresses. This is based on impressive research and is surely an excellent way forward for some disciplines. Over 7000 of these True Reward entries were offered this year and they include some of our students.
Another feature of WSU are the fantastic facilities, perhaps best exemplified by the superbly well fitted out Nurse Training suites with numerous Hi-Tech training mannequins that give students vital practice before doing hospital work. With the proximity of the huge Liverpool Hospital to WSU campus, this city is well placed to become a very important area to study and acquire experience for nursing.
Lucrative scholarships, on line learning arrangements and close links with the community and overseas study destinations are also important features of WSU. The university plans to fit its graduates for the fast changing and developing world of future work where group interaction skills are crucial. Thus it focuses on: Internship, Global Experience, Community engagement and service, Professional Development workshops, Student led projects, Networking events and carefully designed study and social spaces on campus. Students learn vital teamwork and practise planning and communicating in small groups.
WSU presenters talk about five important types of capital investments that they aim to inculcate in students for the complex needs of future work situations. These are: Cultural, Human, Psychological, Social and Identity. Whatever these come to mean as education progresses in this University, it is clear that WSU is thinking deeply about what students are going to need and is rapidly becoming a leading player in providing a high quality, well rounded tertiary training for our students. The amazing artistic vision for another new WSU campus, this time at Bankstown, is symbolic of the dynamic, creative energy powering insightful progress at WSU. It is an exciting place to study.
WSU graduates should consequently become highly employable and also make many good friends as they develop crucial skills.
Mr Jim Ward
Careers Advisor