Employability strategies

The Strategic Plan 2020-2030 [PDF 1.5MB], identifies that La Trobe will be in the top 12 in Australia and top in Victoria for graduates in full time employment (as measured by the Graduate Outcomes Survey).

  1. We will develop:
    • a stocktake of good student employability practices and outcomes to date
    • a refreshed Graduate Capabilities statement that reflects contemporary capabilities such as entrepreneurship
    • a plan to embed the Career Ready Advantage Capability Framework across La Trobe and our offerings through partner institutions
    • employability capabilities, designed with industry and alumni input, that are embedded in all courses and include agreed targets in each College
    • a program of targeted staff development to enable the integration of employability capabilities in the curriculum, building on existing good practice in Work Integrated Learning.
  2. We will partner with employers and alumni to implement the Career Ready Advantage, focussing on industry- relevant skills (cognitive skills, exibility, social intelligence and career management skills) and personal attributes (resilience, curiosity, passion and empathy).
  3. We will further develop and implement our regional employability advantage strategy, aligned with key courses in the regions.
  4. We will make employability a central part of the concept of the ‘La Trobe Graduate of Choice’, incorporating a refreshed approach to the La Trobe Essentials.
  5. We will be recognised as a trusted talent adviser to identify and respond to emerging skills gaps in the new world of  work by, for example, topping up standard university qualifications with short  cycle qualifications.

What we will do - Teaching and learning

  1. La Trobe will undertake a stocktake of effective student employability practices and outcomes to date, disseminating and adopting good practice across the University.
  1. La Trobe will refresh the Essentials and the Graduate Capabilities statements and ensure the Graduate Capabilities and the Career Ready Capabilities are consistent. To this end, the University will partner with industry and alumni to ensure the Capabilities are industry-relevant and reflect contemporary global workforce needs.
  1. La Trobe will embed employability skills development into every course. In partnership, we will develop the La Trobe Employability Curriculum Framework, and provide support to academic staff to ensure that the renewed graduate capabilities and opportunities to develop student employability are embedded in all undergraduate and postgraduate courses across the university.
  1. La Trobe will expand opportunities for students to engage in work-based learning. The University will broaden our current definition of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) to include the range of workbased experiences open to our students, including project based, volunteer, flexible and virtual experiences.
  1. La Trobe will identify and respond to emerging skills gaps in the contemporary workplace by such means as ‘topping up’ standard university qualifications with short cycle qualifications and microcredentialing. We will ensure our graduates develop transferrable skills and are well prepared for career changes over the term of their working lives, and able to adapt to careers that might not yet exist.
  1. La Trobe will enhance staff capability for teaching and integrating employability by developing a program of targeted staff development. This will enable the integration of employability capabilities in the curriculum, building on existing good practice in work integrated learning (WIL).

What we will do - International

  1. Engage with local communities that surround our campuses to facilitate the entry of international students into the local workforce through WIL programs, hosting graduate recruiters on campus and networking events.
  1. Work with alumni to establish networks and relationships for our international students to connect with as they transition back to their home countries.