If your child is ready to kickstart their career, Charles Sturt University is ready to help them take the first step in their chosen industry.

Every journey begins with a single step. And for many young people the first step to the career they want is choosing which university to study with.

At Charles Sturt we believe that starting now means stepping into a course that sets up students for career success from their very first day.

Ensuring experience

So how do we make sure that our courses deliver for our students?

Well, one way is to give them hands-on experience from their very first year. By applying knowledge in practical settings, students get to put their ideas into action, test out what they know and get the real-world skills that employers demand.

How do we know what employers want? Another way Charles Sturt makes sure our courses give students what they need to start working with confidence when they graduate is to work closely with industry. We work with industry professionals to align our courses with the needs and changes occurring in those industries. This keeps our courses as up to date and relevant to contemporary working conditions as possible. Our students learn at the cutting edge of their chosen subject.

Industry links

This means partnering with industry organisations to gain accreditation with them for our courses. Accreditation is an official recognition that the content meets the expectations of the relevant industry sector. We also work with individuals and groups to get a range of inputs into what we teach, so that Charles Sturt courses best serve our students in their search for a rewarding career.

To take one subject area as an example, our human resources management courses are reviewed and shaped by professionals working in the field. We have an advisory board – often Charles Sturt alumni – that brings extensive experience in human resources to the table and helps our academics revise course content to give students the contemporary knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive in the modern workplace.

Susan Rochester is the founder and managing director of Balance at Work, a leadership and coaching organisation, and a member of the board.

“I completed my master’s in human resource management [HRM] at Charles Sturt, and shortly after completing that I was asked to join the advisory board for HRM courses. The benefit of this advisory board [in determining course content] is that we get input from a wide variety of people all working across different aspects of the industry.

“Like any profession at the moment, there’s a rapid rate of change, and education needs to keep up. I think that’s a strength of Charles Sturt’s programs, in that they are continually being researched, revised and evaluated to ensure they keep up with the needs of the industry.”

Also on the board is Greg Mitchell, principal consultant and founder of HR Success.

“As a former graduate of Charles Sturt, I felt that joining the course advisory board was a good opportunity to use my own experience and give something back.

“The benefits of having a professional advisory group are that it draws on the experiences of current professionals in the field, and they can bring their experience and knowledge to bear to ensure that the course is in fact addressing contemporary issues and ensuring that graduates are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that await them.

“So I’d absolutely recommend Charles Sturt as a great opportunity for both young and more mature professionals seeking to further their education, because we ensure the courses are industry relevant, and they are well recognised within that industry.”

Opening up the world of work

Many of our courses require our students to undertake work placements, putting theory into practice in real-world working environments. These are a great opportunity to be supervised by professionals working in the field, solving real problems and pushing the industry forward – and creating their own industry links.

The range of organisations we work with to give students experience in their chosen industry is constantly growing, and includes a global dimension.

At Charles Sturt, we believe that industry links give our students access to the most relevant knowledge, the most contemporary skills and the best chance of stepping into the world of work with confidence when they graduate.

And the first step to getting on that career path? Well, it’s finding the right course and starting now.