First launched in 2002, the Commonwealth provides support for the Higher Education Workskills Olympiad which provides university students with the opportunity of experiential learning within a competition framework. Teams of students are placed with host employers and given a major project to complete, giving the students a taste of working for a major organisation. The National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS) initiated and developed HEWSO (http://www.gradlink.edu.au/content/view/full/1578 ) as an important feature of the higher education-industry interface. The benefits for students include career education and the development of employability skills including project management, teamwork, workplace communication, negotiation, ‘thinking outside the square’ and giving a presentation. The national winning team and a number of highly commended teams are chosen by the national judging panel and a National Awards Evening is held each year for teams to be presented with appropriate awards and certificates.
The active roles of NAGCAS and of individual university careers services in HEWSO will serve both to raise their profile and to underline the value of activities which promote active partnerships between higher education and the business, industry, government and community sectors. Another feature of this competition is that it raises the profile of graduate attributes and employability skills across the university sector. Employers get the benefit of fresh minds addressing a problem or issue which is of significance to them and they develop their understanding of the potential of students completing degrees in Australian universities.