Welcome and introduction

Rob: G'day, and welcome to the National Virtual Expo. I'm Rob Malicki on Gadigal land in Sydney. Welcome to this session on results in the real world — all about hands-on learning at uni — with our friends from Southern Cross University. It's going to be a great session. If you've got questions as we go, make sure you drop them in the chat. If you're here live, you can ask them either via the session hub where you may be watching right now, or if you're watching on social media, just drop them down in the comments below, and we will make sure that every single question — no matter how specific about your case, about Southern Cross, or about studying at uni in general — every single question will get an answer. If you're watching this on the recording, you can jump into the Discord, which you'll find in the link below. And for parents, we have a Facebook community just for you. So any questions you've got, make sure you ask them and you will get a response. Without further ado, let's jump into this session on results in the real world.

Guest: Thanks, Rob, and welcome everyone to a Southern Cross University presentation. My name is Sam, and today I'm going to be talking through hands-on learning and post-uni jobs, and how the results actually apply in the real world for what we do here at university. Really excited to get started on this topic.

Why hands-on learning matters: choosing a direction, not just a course

Guest: Let's talk about why hands-on learning matters. Choosing what to study isn't just about picking a course — it's about what kind of options you'll have after graduation. For many people, university is one of the biggest decisions they will ever make, and fair enough. Not because choosing a course is difficult itself, but because it can feel like choosing a direction for your future. There are so many options, so many pathways, and often so much pressure to get it right.

Guest: Many students aren't asking, "Can I do this?" They're actually asking, "Will this actually lead somewhere?" And that's a fair question — one I had myself. It's very common for students to feel overwhelmed at this stage, and it's completely fine. Some are school leavers deciding what comes next for the first time. Some are changing careers, looking for something more meaningful or sustainable. Others are returning to study while balancing work, family, or other commitments. And almost all of them share a similar concern: they don't just want a degree. They want reassurance — reassurance that the time, energy, and money they invest will lead to real opportunities.

Guest: Let's hear from one of our previous students, an Alumnus of the Year, Emily, who speaks from her experience at Southern Cross University and how it shaped her career. Because choosing what to study isn't just an academic decision — it's a personal one.

Emily's story: from a small coastal town to the United Nations

Guest: Emily grew up on Banjul country as a Torres Strait Islander in the 2010s, and she was the first in her family to go to university. Southern Cross gave her opportunities to study overseas — including international law in the Czech Republic and a visit to the United Nations in Vienna. That experience planted the seed of wanting to become a diplomat. She went back to Southern Cross and worked with her university to build a plan to make herself competitive for Australian Government graduate programmes — a career path that was quite new for a law student at the time.

Guest: In 2023, Emily was nominated to represent Australia at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She described it as the biggest career goal she had set herself — one she thought would take three decades, not five years. After graduating, she joined the Australian Consulate General and was redeployed to Tahiti to assist with the consular crisis in New Caledonia, helping hundreds of Australians and foreign nationals leave the country during a period of serious civil unrest. As she put it, Southern Cross gave her a different university experience — one that showed her how big the world is, and how big a part she could play in it.

The reality of work after graduation and the problem of graduate shock

Guest: Now let's speak about the reality of work after graduation. Across Australia, employers are becoming clear about what they're looking for in graduates. They're not just looking for people who know information — they're looking for people who can apply it. That means graduates who can think critically, solve real problems, work effectively with others, communicate clearly, and adapt to real workplace environments.

Guest: One of the biggest challenges students face after graduating is sometimes called "graduate shock" — something I experienced myself. It's the moment when study ends and professional work begins, that weird feeling between finishing university and moving into full-time work. For students whose learning has been mostly theoretical, that transition can feel sudden and unsettling. They might know the concepts, but still feel unsure about applying them in the real world. That gap between learning and doing is exactly where confidence can be lost.

Guest: That's why it's important to think about university differently. University isn't just preparation for assessment — it's preparation for professional life. The goal isn't just to graduate. The goal is to graduate feeling capable, feeling ready to step into a workplace environment and contribute. That's where hands-on learning comes in.

What hands-on learning actually looks like at university

Guest: Hands-on learning means applying what you're studying to real situations: through practical projects, simulations such as the nursing simulation labs we have on campus, industry placements, labs and specialist facilities, and real-world case studies. Instead of learning everything from a textbook or sitting exams that don't reflect real jobs, students are learning in ways that mirror the workplace itself — and that's really important.

Guest: I'd like you to think about this for a moment. When you imagine yourself finishing university, how do you want to feel? Not just qualified, but confident. Not just knowledgeable, but capable. Many students worry they'll complete their degree and still feel unsure about what comes next. Hands-on learning helps reduce that uncertainty. Students don't just graduate with a qualification — they graduate with experience, with examples, with stories they can draw on in job interviews and professional conversations. So the real question isn't only what you want to study. It's how you want to learn.

Guest: In practical, career-focused courses, hands-on learning often looks like a few things. Students might work on real industry or community-based projects — projects designed around genuine challenges faced outside the university environment. They may complete practical assessments instead of traditional exams, where success is based on problem solving, decision making, and professional communication. Many students learn in specialist labs or simulated work environments designed to closely reflect the spaces they'll be working in after graduation. Courses may include professional placements or internships, allowing students to experience workplace expectations while still being supported through their studies. And very importantly, students are often asked to solve real problems faced by businesses, health services, schools, communities, and other organisations.

Guest: What all of these approaches have in common is that they help bridge the gap between theory and practice. Students don't just learn what something is — they learn how it's used, and when it needs to be applied. In a hands-on learning environment, instead of answering questions in an exam, students analyse a real-world scenario, consider multiple factors, make decisions, and justify their choices. They're often assessed not only on what they know, but on how they apply that knowledge — how they think, communicate, and respond. This makes learning feel far more relevant and, to be completely honest, far more motivating. Students can see the purpose behind what they're studying, rather than wondering where it might fit later on.

Hands-on learning across disciplines: health, education, business, engineering, and science

Guest: An important thing to understand is that hands-on learning isn't limited to one area. Whatever you're thinking of studying — health, business, whatever it may be — it applies. It's not just for practical degrees, and it's not just for one kind of student. This approach is woven right across a wide range of disciplines.

Guest: In health and allied health, students practise in simulated clinical environments and work with real-world case scenarios. In education, pre-service teachers gain classroom experience, lesson planning skills, and exposure to real learning environments before graduating — because imagine becoming a teacher without ever having stood in front of a class. In business and entrepreneurship, students may work on live briefs, industry projects, or business simulations that reflect workplace realities. In engineering and IT, students spend time in labs designing systems, testing solutions, and solving technical problems. In science and environmental studies, students conduct experiments, fieldwork, and data analysis tied to real environmental or scientific challenges. Regardless of the discipline, the goal is the same: to ensure students don't just leave university with knowledge, but with the experience, competence, and confidence to use it.

Case study: wildlife veterinary training at Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital

Guest: Let's look at a specific example to see what this kind of learning can look like in action. Australia is facing a shortage of veterinarians — around 1,500 vets short right now. This critical skills gap is affecting the level of care we can provide to our communities, our animals, and our wildlife. Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital has established itself as a critical part of the regional response to the challenges wildlife face every single day.

Guest: What generally happens when wildlife arrive at a general practice vet is that they're put out the back at the end of the day, and a decision is made about whether the animal makes it through the night or is put to sleep on the spot. The euthanasia rate and the death rate were simply too high. The hospital does everything from triage to treatment to surgery to rehabilitation, with the aim of getting animals back out into the wild where they belong.

Guest: As part of the partnership between Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital and Southern Cross University, students complete placements in the wildlife hospital itself — making SCU students the only ones in Australia gaining hands-on experience in a wildlife hospital with wildlife. The demand for knowledge and experience with wildlife is huge, and Southern Cross is working to meet that demand. The labour shortage is particularly acute in regional areas, and this partnership is designed to help address that directly.

Does hands-on learning help with employment?

Guest: After that, you may be asking: does hands-on learning help with employment? It's one of the most common questions, and an important one — because university is an investment of time, energy, and often money, and we want to know what that investment leads to. The short answer is yes. But not just because the degree looks good on paper. Hands-on learning doesn't just give you a qualification — it gives you evidence.

Guest: When employers are reviewing candidates, they're not just assessing knowledge — they're assessing readiness. They want to know: can this person apply what they've learned? Can they work with others? Can they communicate professionally? Can they take responsibility? Can they adapt when things don't go to plan? Hands-on learning helps students develop and demonstrate all of these capabilities. Students can show evidence that they can apply their knowledge in real situations, work professionally with others, communicate clearly and confidently, manage responsibility and expectations, and respond when challenges arise. These are not abstract skills — they are exactly the skills employers look for in graduate roles.

Guest: By the time students finish a degree that includes hands-on learning, many have built much more than academic knowledge. They might already have experience in real workplaces, professional networks, industry contacts, examples of projects they've worked on, a clear understanding of their strengths and interests, and a stronger sense of which career path suits them best. This is important because employment isn't just about getting a job — it's about finding the right role. Hands-on experience allows students to test different environments while they're still studying, and that insight is incredibly valuable.

How hands-on experience changes the job interview

Guest: Let's talk about how a job interview actually works. Most employers don't run interviews by asking about grades or academic transcripts. Instead, they'll ask questions like: "Tell me about a time you worked in a team." That could be a university group assignment, a sporting team, something at school, or an external event — it doesn't matter. They want to hear about a time you worked with others. Or: "How did you handle a challenge or unexpected problem?" Or: "Can you give an example of a real project you've worked on?" Hopefully by that point you'll have quite a few to choose from.

Guest: These questions are designed to understand how someone actually behaves in real situations. Hands-on learning gives students genuine answers. Instead of speaking hypothetically, students can reflect on a placement experience, an industry project, a practical assessment, or a real-world scenario they've already worked through. That makes interviews feel more like conversations and far less intimidating.

Guest: There's something else students gain that is often overlooked: they learn what they enjoy, what they're good at, and what kind of environment suits them. Some students discover they thrive in fast-paced, collaborative settings. Others realise they prefer analytical or client-focused work. You might think you have the answer now — just as I did when I was at school and starting university — but your answer very well may change, and you should be open to that. Learning this before graduation can save a great deal of uncertainty later on.

Sophie's story: from Bachelor of Business to a career she loves

Guest: To show you what this looks like in practice, let's hear from a graduate who took what she learned at university and turned it into a meaningful career. Sophie studied a Bachelor of Business at Southern Cross University and now works full time in the events team at the Gold Coast campus. She wanted a career path with variety, the chance to travel, and the opportunity to meet new people and bring events to life — and that's exactly what she does.

Guest: Southern Cross helped Sophie not just learn how to plan events, but through her internship and then four years of full-time employment, she built a great deal of practical experience. What her story really highlights is confidence — not just confidence in her knowledge, but confidence in her ability to apply what she learned in real situations. That confidence comes from having already practised, already engaged, and already stepped into environments that reflect the workplace.

Guest: Sophie's experience isn't unique. We consistently see that students who engage in practical, hands-on learning transition into work more smoothly, feel more self-assured in professional settings, and often move into employment more quickly, with greater clarity about where they're headed. Hands-on learning doesn't just prepare students to graduate — it prepares them to begin.

Learning beyond the classroom: clubs, volunteering, and self-discovery

Guest: University life doesn't begin and end in the classroom, just like your future career won't. Lectures, tutorials, and assessments are important. But some of the most valuable learning happens outside of formal coursework. This is where students begin to grow not just as learners, but as people.

Guest: At university, students often have opportunities to get involved in a wider range of activities beyond their core study. They might take part in industry or community-based projects, join clubs or student organisations, volunteer with local groups or not-for-profit organisations, attend workshops, events, and networking sessions, and take on roles that build leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Remember what I mentioned earlier about what employers look for? Those things I just listed are exactly what employers look for.

Guest: What makes these experiences valuable isn't just participation — it's what students learn by doing. They learn how to collaborate with different people, how to manage time and responsibility, how to speak up, contribute, and sometimes take a step back. These are the kinds of skills that don't come from textbooks, and they can't be memorised either. Think about skills like confidence, adaptability, communication, and resilience. They're developed gradually through experience — through trying something new, through working with others, through navigating uncertainty. Sometimes that means things go well. Sometimes it means they don't. And that's just as valuable. Learning in the classroom allows students to practise these skills in low-risk, supportive environments where making mistakes is part of the process.

Guest: From an employer's perspective, learning beyond the classroom matters because it tells a story. It shows initiative. It shows curiosity. It shows willingness to engage. When students talk about involvement in clubs, volunteering, or projects, they're not just listing activities — they're sharing experiences that demonstrate who they are and how they work with others. These experiences often become the stories students draw on in interviews: stories about teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and growth.

Guest: University is also a time where students are figuring out not just what they want to do, but who they want to be. Getting involved outside formal study allows students to explore interests they might not have considered, test ideas in real situations, and learn more about their own strengths and preferences. Sometimes these experiences help clarify career direction. Sometimes they open up a path they hadn't expected. Both outcomes are just as valuable.

A student perspective: applying classroom learning to real life

Guest: A current SCU business student majoring in marketing described how her favourite thing about SCU is that what you learn in the classroom is something you can actually use in real life. For one assignment, she created a marketing campaign for her mother's business — genuinely helping her mum while completing her coursework. Through one of her teachers, she also learned about the Innovation Hub, a club on campus that runs networking events and workshops where students meet industry professionals. She did a pitch on her mother's business for investors, and that experience built her confidence in presenting, public speaking, and networking — all skills that came directly from her classroom and beyond.

Guest: What's powerful about that kind of experience is that it shows learning isn't always linear. There isn't one right path. Growth often comes from getting involved, from trying different things, from putting yourself in new situations. It may seem scary at first, but confidence builds over time through participation, experience, and reflection — and that kind of growth doesn't stop at graduation. It carries forward into professional life.

Hands-on learning in online study: flexibility without compromise

Guest: Hands-on learning isn't limited to on-campus study, and this is an important point because for many students, studying online isn't a preference — it's a necessity. Studying online doesn't mean studying alone, and it certainly doesn't mean missing out on practical, career-focused learning. Well-designed online degrees are intentionally structured to be just as engaging, interactive, and relevant as on-campus study — just delivered differently.

Guest: In quality online courses, students still take part in interactive learning activities and discussions, real-world projects and case studies, industry-based assessments, and placement intensives or residentials where practical learning is required. Instead of passive content, students are asked to engage — to think, respond, collaborate, and apply what they're learning. Online learning often includes discussion forums, group work, guided activities, and scenario-based tasks that mirror real workplace challenges. The delivery is flexible, but the expectations are real.

Guest: For many students, the biggest advantage of online study is flexibility — the ability to balance studies with work commitments, family or caring responsibilities, and personal or geographic circumstances. This flexibility can actually enhance hands-on learning, because many online students are already in workplaces or communities where they can immediately connect their learning to real situations. They're applying concepts alongside real-world experience as they study — and that combination can be incredibly powerful.

Guest: It's important to be clear: flexibility doesn't mean lower standards. Online students are still expected to meet the same learning outcomes and professional competencies as on-campus students. Where hands-on practice is essential, online courses include structured opportunities to gain that experience, whether through placements, on-campus intensives, residential schools, or supervised practical components.

The Southern Cross model: six-week terms and 91% unit completion

Guest: Whether studying online or on campus, the key is that learning is intentionally designed — practical, supported, and inquiry-focused. And that brings us to how all this comes together at Southern Cross University.

Guest: At Southern Cross, hands-on learning isn't just an add-on — it's central to the way courses are designed and delivered. We recognise that there's a better way to learn, one that supports students, builds confidence, and prepares graduates for real careers. That's why we developed the Southern Cross model. It's an award-winning academic model that is unique in Australia. It's built around shorter, six-week study terms, where students focus on one or two subjects at a time. This structure helps students maintain focus, build momentum, stay motivated, and balance study with other commitments.

Guest: Here's a way to think about it. Imagine a regular university term: four subjects across 12 weeks. Now replace those four subjects with four tennis balls, and the 12 weeks with 12 minutes. If I asked you to juggle four tennis balls for 12 minutes, that's pretty difficult — unless you're a professional juggler. Now, what if we changed those four tennis balls to just two, and instead of 12 minutes, you only needed to juggle for six? That's what it's like at Southern Cross University. We've condensed the workload into shorter, more focused terms, and the results speak for themselves. Last year, 91% of students successfully completed their units of study — a strong indicator not just of academic quality, but of support, structure, and student confidence.

Guest: Another key feature of the Southern Cross model is assessment design. Rather than relying heavily on traditional exams, assessments focus on practical tasks, applied projects, real-world scenarios, and industry-relevant challenges. Students are assessed on how they think, how they problem-solve, how they communicate, and how they apply what they've learned — the skills that matter beyond university.

Specialist facilities: simulation labs, mixed reality, and wildlife hospitals

Guest: Hands-on learning at Southern Cross University is supported by specialist facilities that mirror professional environments. Depending on the degree, students might learn in simulation nursing wards or midwifery labs, health clinics working with real clients, engineering, science, and IT laboratories, or exercise science and allied health facilities. Students don't just learn about professional spaces — they learn in them. The result is graduates who leave university not just qualified, but prepared: prepared to step into professional roles, communicate with confidence, apply their knowledge, and continue learning and adapting.

Guest: In the Faculty of Health, SCU has partnered with Jigsaw and Mixed Reality to bring learning to life through holographic anatomy. When students put on the goggles, they can see a holographic skeleton in the middle of the room, and remove layers — muscle, organs, bones — to explore how the body works in 3D. They can examine the heart, remove layers, and look at the valves from the inside. The teacher can take students through a selected structure, compare healthy physiology with disease states, and even use an X-ray function. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly for visual learners who also value the social and collaborative aspect of working through cases together in the room.

Guest: In addition to mixed reality, SCU also uses patient simulation mannequins that take on realistic personas and cases. Students must assess signs and symptoms, and devise management and care strategies — practising clinical skills before entering the real world.

Graduate stories: marine science, social work, and careers built on experience

Guest: Let's look at a few more examples of past and present students applying their degrees in real-life scenarios. Tony Miles is an international dive guide, author, and photographer who is also a marine science graduate from Southern Cross University. He grew up in Cairns, spent his twenties as a dive instructor on Lord Howe Island, and went on to work as a private dive guide on superyachts. He came to SCU later in life, believing that adding a solid base of marine science to his practical diving knowledge would be valuable for his future.

Guest: Because the marine science degree was majority online, Tony was able to study while working freelance all over the world, timing his practical residentials to coincide with visits back to Australia to see family. He described the university as flexible, understanding of his remote lifestyle, and willing to work around it. He recently published a book on the 50 best dive experiences around the world — a project he said drew directly on the focus and discipline he developed through his degree. He found that the core subjects in biology, ecology, and chemistry gave him a natural, organic breakdown of how everything works, which complemented his personal experience and brought a more professional, scientific background to his career in media and guest relations.

Guest: Daniel is a Bachelor of Social Work student at SCU with lived experience in mental health, who wanted to give back to the community that had supported him. He recently completed an 18-week placement in regional Queensland that he described as a hands-on, immersive learning experience — meeting people from all walks of life, making new friends, and gaining exposure he says he wouldn't trade for anything. Key skills he's developed include adaptability, flexibility, and the confidence to reach out when he needs support. He uses SCU's Learning Hub for academic writing, and values the ability to adjust his study load when life demands it.

Guest: Daniel also spoke honestly about the challenges of social work study: dealing with confronting material, working through things that affect you personally, and learning when to reach out and use the resources available. As he put it, those confronting things will be part of the job every day, so learning to navigate them while studying is part of the preparation. His advice to anyone considering social work: if you have a passion for it, do it. It's not easy — but it's worth it every step of the way.

Closing remarks

Guest: And that's it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you learned a thing or two. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out — we're more than happy to help. Thank you.

Rob: Thank you, Sam, and thank you to everyone who joined us for this session. Remember, if you have any questions, drop them in the chat, the Discord, or the Facebook community for parents — links are all below. We'll make sure every single one gets answered.