Employable you

Gaining employment in the 21st century workplace is not just about technical understanding and subject knowledge. To be competitive, graduates need to demonstrate to employers that they have the disciplinespecific skills required, as wells as a broader range of employability skills. The College has implemented a three-year program designed to ensure students have everything they need for the world of work.

Employability Program

After 12 years of schooling that focused heavily on results and academic achievements, TEDx speaker Josh Farr realised that grades are not a marker of success, nor can they guarantee it. Instead, employers now seek a new skill set, one that cannot be taught in a lecture hall, in a lab or via Zoom. Identifying this gap in the market, Josh formed Campus Consultancy, an entrepreneurial leadership program aiming to “teach young leaders the principles, strategies, and mindsets that allow them to be most impactful” as both community members and workplace contributors. With testimonials across 26 Australian Universities, St Hilda’s was delighted to welcome Josh’s innovative approach. With a structured program tailored to every year level at college, Josh’s goal was to help develop students personally and professionally, and to equip them with an invaluable skill set to apply to life outside post St Hilda’s. With an emphasis on building an extensive, engaged community both in-person and online, Josh urged students to reach out to their field mentors for coffee meet-ups, and communicate with role models regularly, as he has found this immensely beneficial for networking and job opportunities. The next business move for Josh is staying ahead of the curve, knowing what employers are looking for, and mentoring students to fill that void. Social Enterprise

Sabrina Liang (2019) decided to join a team of Hilda’s students on the quest for mental health education, support, and community progress. As an initiative introduced by Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy and Dean of Students, James Hardiman, Sabrina knew that this undertaking would be of benefit. After outlining her interest, Sabrina regularly met with a group of 20 peers every week who were also beginning their social enterprise journey. Josh guided their ideas to areas of environmental sustainability, mental health, rural education, and youth empowerment; each being a topic he felt could benefit from the collaboration of young minds. Sabrina and her group chose to focus on pastoral care and improving the mental wellbeing of their peers. Many student surveys and brainstorming sessions later, the team set their sights on the creation of care packages called ‘The Care’ that target the 5 senses. Hoping to include a range of products such as tea, a thoughts journal, candles, and chocolates to promote a calm environment and mind, they hoped that by manipulating the senses, students could ground themselves in their environment and reduce stress levels. Whilst the project was a success from development to presentation, it was unable to be progressed beyond the blueprint due to the pandemic.

Participants at the mentor meet and greet