1.2.2 Work-Ready Graduates
Ensuring all coursework students complete an approved work-integrated learning experience aligned with industry and community engagement.
Purpose
This initiative aims to ensure every coursework student graduates with meaningful engagement in professional practice and a clear understanding of the industries and pathways connected to their discipline.
The initiative will expand and coordinate WIL opportunities across the institution, deepen partnerships with industry, government and community and embed employability capabilities across the student lifecycle.
Ultimately it seeks to improve graduate employability outcomes by scaling access to high-quality institutionally approved WIL and positioning it as a core component of the UOW student experience.
Strategic alignment
| Strategic goal | Strengthen and expand work-integrated learning opportunities, ensuring all coursework students complete an approved WIL experience aligned with industry and community engagement. |
|---|---|
| Measure of success | Expanded and coordinated WIL provision implemented across coursework programs, with increased student participation in institutionally approved WIL experiences and governance and partnerships supporting delivery at scale. |
Context
The higher education sector is increasingly focused on graduate employability, industry engagement and demonstrable student outcomes. Institutional performance is measured through indicators such as the Graduate Outcomes Survey and employer expectations of work-ready graduates.
UOW’s strategic goal emphasises expanding career readiness through WIL, global competencies and cultural awareness with a target of 100% of UOW graduates completing an institutionally approved WIL experience by 2030.
This initiative responds to:
- Growing demand for authentic, work-based learning experiences that give students an opportunity to develop world-ready skills (links to World Ready Graduate Initiative 1.2.1)
- Increasing competition in employability rankings
- The need for coordinated industry engagement and scalable partnership models
- Opportunities to strengthen UOW’s civic and regional impact through community-connected learning.
Approach
The initiative will be delivered through a phased institutional wide approach leveraging existing capability across Graduate Employability, Educational Innovation & Enablement, the Work Integrated Learning Advisory Committee (WILAC) and enabling divisions, rather than through a centrally funded program:
- Undertake institution-wide mapping
- Benchmark best practice nationally and globally
- Analyse industry engagement landscape at the institution
- WIL Careers subjects review and operating model
- Conduct stakeholder consultation
- Define institutionally approved WIL and quality criteria
- Develop pilot delivery models across disciplines
- Establish pilot governance structures and roles
- Develop evaluation framework and reporting approach
- Secure institutional endorsement
- Develop enabling resources, templates and systems
- Pilot WIL models in selected faculties/subjects
- Evaluate student and industry outcomes
Indicative timeline & milestones
Q3 2026
Key activities
Discovery phase activities
Key outputs
Current state analysis and benchmarking completed
Q4 2026
Key activities
Define institutional model
Key outputs
Approved framework and governance model
2027
Key activities
Pilot implementation
Key outputs
Validated delivery models and evaluation results
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