Students benefit from ICT partnership

A partnership has been formed between the University of Canberra (UC), IP Australia and Pegasystems, designed to provide ICT students with key skills.

The partnership will help to ensure that students are well prepared for professional IT certification, allowing them access to opportunities to embrace market-leading technology and collaborate with industry professionals.

UC will incorporate Pega’s University Academic Program (UAP) curriculum into the university’s ICT course, specifically the unit, ‘Advances in Information Sciences’. Additionally, IP Australia will offer several top-performing UC students a 12-month position.

“Graduates will be exposed to a variety of real-world settings that will let them practise what they’ve learned in the classroom and develop critical skills,” said Professor Geoffrey Riordan, Dean of UC’s Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics.

Pega’s UAP was created to help meet increasing professional demands and improve job opportunities for graduating students. This program prepares students with valuable, in-demand skills that make them indispensable resources, which in turn allows Pega’s clients to perform at optimal levels.

“As businesses and government agencies continue along their digital transformation journey, they need people with the right skill sets to help them meet the growing demands of their customers and constituents,” said Alan Trefler, Pegasystems founder and CEO.

The program also connects participating universities and students with organisations — tying skills to jobs. This provides world-class organisations direct access to a pool of students with strong skills in key in-demand technologies.

By offering several students positions under the joint partnership, IP Australia will be giving new talent the chance to drive real business transformation.

“IP Australia is pleased to provide talented ICT graduates with an opportunity to streamline their transition from a tertiary environment to the professional world through exposure to the inner workings of our federal government agency,” IP Australia Deputy Director General Deborah Anton said.

“Graduates will learn how their technical skills fit within the context of the Australian Public Service by contributing to the implementation of solutions that produce real business outcomes.

“Supporting new talent drives innovation for the benefit of all Australians, in turn ensuring IP Australia and Pega will deliver world-leading services in the years to come. This is one way IP Australia is contributing to the National Innovation and Science Agenda.”

As part of the collaboration, a number of UC graduates will attend three weeks of additional training at Pega’s global headquarters located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They will also be embedded in a team at IP Australia and receive continuous monitoring and coaching from senior Pega consultants and IP Australia staff.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/OJO_Images

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook