Increasingly, employers are demanding that graduates be 'work-ready' from day one, whether they are in the Tourism, Education, Health, Arts, Science, Business, Technology or Social Science fields. Employers are less willing to employ graduates who, although academically able in their discipline, lack practical work experience and may also lack the important personal and interpersonal skills needed in today's fast changing working environment. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and Co-operative Education Programs help to produce more well-rounded graduates who are ready for work and who can 'hit the ground running' as they begin their future careers.
Gayle Mayes in the Faculty of Business coordinates the Tourism Practicum course which was awarded a Carrick Citation for the outstanding contribution to student learning and education in 2007. Students undertake a placement of a minimum of 105 hours over a single semester with tourism-based organisations. Students are required to develop a project based on their own interests and career aspirations. They are then matched with a suitable business partner and the project is further discussed, refined, and completed.
There is evidence to show that graduates who gain work experience as part of their tertiary qualifications get jobs more easily than those with similar qualifications but without the experience. It makes sense - employers want the qualifications and the experience! There are a number of benefits for those participating in WIL and Co-operative Education Programs. By participating in the course, students gain experience in workplace discipline, develop essential personal and interpersonal skills, make contacts which lead to future career advantages and increase their confidence in identifying the right career path. Graduates with work experience also win positions more readily.
When asked to rate this course in 2007 on a scale of 0 to 10 for its value to their tourism degree and level of importance in their overall experience at USC, students rated it as 9.5 out of 10!
Success stories where students secure full-time positions through the Practicum are many. In 2007 for example:
Examples of other businesses more recently involved in the Tourism Practicum include: