Industry experience through PACE is already an integral part of all undergraduate degrees at Macquarie. Students graduate with this valuable practical experience that enhances their employability. Now Macquarie has taken another bold step in work-integrated learning with the launch of the University’s first Co-operative Education program that builds on the solid foundation of PACE.

Co-operative Education (Co-op) is a structured method of combining classroom-based learning with a series of industry placements with different sponsoring partners.

This year six Actuarial Studies students commenced Macquarie’s Co-op program. During their four-year program they will alternate between classroom studies and workplace experience in the form of three vocational placements of three to six months each. The students are supported by a scholarship for the duration of their course.

Actuarial Studies students, with their sponsoring partners, at the launch of Macquarie’s Co-op program. (Photo: James Manning)

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, Professor Stephen Brammer, welcomed Macquarie’s first Co-op students at a special event on 11 April, with program sponsors EY, Finity, NDIA, PwC Australia, TAL and Zurich joining the celebration. Guests heard from Jenny Lyon, (Director, SKL Actuarial and immediate past President of the Actuaries Institute) and Julia Lessing, (Director, Guardian Actuarial) about the importance of work integrated learning programs to help graduates prepare for the future of work.

The program will be expanded in 2019 to include accounting students and partners. Other programs are currently being planned. For further information about the program, please contact the Co-op team (coop@mq.edu.au).