How Things Are Changing at the Tertiary Level

How Things are Changing at the Tertiary Level

Over my time as a careers practitioner, I have been able to see some subtle changes to how tertiary institutions view their processes for entry requirements and graduate outcomes.

Whether it be changing a model, such as Melbourne University adopting the Melbourne Model in 2008, or emphasising the value of community service, such as La Trobe University, Australian Catholic University (ACU) and the Australian National University (ANU), there is no doubt the landscape within the tertiary sector is changing.

In a recent article published in The Age, I was pleased to note that the University of Sydney will report on the personal attributes of its graduating students. A student will graduate with not only their academic transcript, but a report containing a description of the student’s mastery of soft skills. This change has come from discussions with prospective employers who have concerns about such qualities of graduating students.

I ask you to consider whether an ATAR, high distinction, 2.1 or first class honours provides adequate information of an employee’s potential? Or should it be inclusive of other personal skills and qualities?

The report will cover a range of skills, including:

  • Depth of disciplinary expertise (how they apply knowledge).
  • Critical thinking and problem solving (questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions).
  • Communication.
  • Information and digital literacy (ability to locate, interpret and evaluate information).
  • Inventiveness (generating novel ideas and solutions).
  • Interdisciplinary effectiveness (integration of multiple viewpoints).
  • An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity (understanding interaction between one’s personal and professional self).
  • Influence (engaging others in a process, idea or vision).

At a breakfast hosted by ANU last week in Melbourne, careers practitioners were briefed on the changes to their 2020 intake. Current Year 11 students will have an opportunity to demonstrate strong academic skills coupled with co-curricular and community service in their applications. ANU are providing students with an opportunity to share more about themselves, not just their ATAR.

This too is the case with ACU and La Trobe University. Both of these institutions place a value on providing a platform for students to share more about themselves in their applications for tertiary study.

In an article by the Australian HR Institute, Senior Vice-President of Indeed, Mr Paul D’Arcy, shares his thoughts on why the resume should “die”. Again, this relates back to the need to understand an applicant’s personal skills and personality. He discusses how a “recruiter spends an average of six seconds reviewing a resume.” Mr D’Arcy further suggests, “Skills based assessments are typically online tests a candidate takes that will certify and show their range of ability.” Again another example of where we may see a change in the way a candidate may be viewed in the future.

I am very interested in how schools and secondary education departments will respond to the changes in the tertiary sector and employment. I query whether schools will move away from the notion of training students for an exam and learning for the sake of getting a high ATAR to focussing more on learning that provides students with a greater capacity to develop the skills needed for learning, thinking, problem solving and communicating. However, more importantly how they report and use this information.

When assisting students to apply for international university places, there is certainly greater emphasis in a student’s ability to provide a more holistic perspective of themselves. They often get an opportunity to do this in the form of a personal statement or essay.

Associate Professor Peter McCallum, Director of Education Strategy at the University of Sydney, stated, “Skills such as critical thinking were vital in a world in which knowledge could be found easily. You don’t solve climate change by simply having a technological solution…you need to change human behaviour.”

The changes at the University of Sydney will provide graduating students with a more rounded opportunity to move forward in our ever-changing world. It will also aid in providing recruiters with the information they too are looking for in candidates.

I look forward to watching the progress made in this area.

 

Mrs Pauline Van Der Poel, Director of Planning and Organisation/Careers Practitioner