Having a real-life, real-time client to work for is an unmatched learning experience, raising the stakes of achieving results and allowing students to become far more invested in the outcome.
This is now the case for College of Business, Government and Law students through the expansion of Flinders industry projects, mentoring and placement programs.
Classmates operate in teams as business consultants for South Australian businesses that have a problem to explore. During the semester, students take a deep dive into the business assigned to them – they’ll conduct research and develop strategic insights and recommendations for the client, presenting back to the business at the end of the period.
“It made me think about the transferability of my academic learning into a space where it was implemented. After 10 weeks of working on this, it was really cool to be up there finalising the presentation and delivering it,” says Cooper Lawson (BCrim ’22) who completed his project with the Department for Correctional Services.
Opportunities like these not only have a lasting impact on the student, but also the industry partner that has provided the experience. Graduates are better prepared and more confident to step into their career journey, which ultimately benefits our future workforce and community.
“It’s not just textbook learning. This is an opportunity in a real business with real people to be able to present something to us that will actually end up being sold in the marketplace, which is incredibly exciting.”
MIKE BROWN, MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF WINEMAKER, GEMTREE WINES
There are many positives to be gained as an industry host – opening up a placement opportunity allows you to watch a student transform. Stepping into a professional environment for the first time can be challenging and through supportive mentorship, students can feel supported to push beyond their comfort zones, confront new situations, and adapt to dynamic work demands.
No matter what stage of your career, or the amount of time and resources you have, there is an opportunity to help provide the real-world experiences students need to become career ready.
Industry Projects are offered to students throughout the year in a range of topics across management, marketing, entrepreneurship, advanced leadership, and international business.