This week’s Study Weekly — here’s what’s making headlines!

by Zoe

Here’s what we’re covering:

– University of Newcastle launches an early-entry scheme to ease student pressure

– Transgrid partners with the University of Newcastle

– University of Sydney opens a GP clinical school to lift professional and research standards

– Swinburne University opens a one-year early-childhood Graduate Diploma

– Tight rental market in WA prompts calls to fast-track student accommodation

– This week’s Offer Show

University of Newcastle launches an early-entry scheme to ease student pressure

The University of Newcastle has launched an early-entry scheme designed to give more support to Year 12 students from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.The scheme allows students to gain early entry after completing their Higher School Certificate or International Baccalaureate.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky said the scheme would offer students a range of support, including student mentors, HSC tips and webinars, past papers, and invitations to university VIP events. Students said receiving an offer early would ease the pressure associated with their HSC exams and help them approach the exams with greater confidence.

Applications will be assessed on Year 11 results and HSC completion, with offers issued in September. Students can apply for early entry by visiting the University of Newcastle’s official website.

Transgrid partners with the University of Newcastle

TransGrid has formally established a partnership with the University of Newcastle,aiming to create education, training and employment opportunities for students and to support future energy projects in the Hunter region.The partnership spans apprenticeship programmes, scholarships, research and employment opportunities for electrical engineering students, in step with Australia’s transition to a clean-energy future.

Over the next five to ten years, TransGrid’s major projects will require a large skilled workforce, including electrical design engineers, commissioning engineers, civil engineers and asset engineers.The agreement also coversresearch into sponsorships, scholarships, apprenticeship programmes and graduate opportunities, along with other education initiatives linked to the transmission and renewable-energy sectors.The partnership will give students hands-on experience and help them succeed in their careers.

The University of Newcastle’s Vice-Chancellor said: “We are fortunate to have a range of supportive organisations and businesses, such as TransGrid, who are keen to give our students opportunities for hands-on experience. From this year, every undergraduate at our university will complete a practical placement as part of their degree.”

University of Sydney opens a GP clinical school to lift professional and research standards

The University of Sydney has launched a new clinical school designed to increase employment opportunities in general practice, expand related research, and champion multidisciplinary care.

The clinical school will provide medical students with training in general practice, enabling them to become part of community healthcare teams and respond to complex health needs. It will also foster research collaborations related to general practice to address the needs of the profession.The initiative is backed by the University of Sydney and is regarded as forward-thinking, set to have a lasting impact on students, researchers and general practitioners in the community.

Swinburne University opens a one-year early-childhood Graduate Diploma

Swinburne University now offers a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education,making it the latest one-year early-childhood programme to open after VU and RMIT.

Here are some key details about the programme:

Tuition fees:A$30,040 per year, with students also able to apply for a scholarship of up to 30%

Programme length: 1 year

Application deadline: 10 July 2023.

Offer acceptance deadline: 13 July 2023.

Study mode: on-campus and online.

Entry requirements are as follows (meet any one):

– A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent qualification).

– Holding an Australian Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (or a recognised equivalent qualification).

– At least 5 years of relevant work experience in an early-childhood setting within the past 7 years, including relevant leadership responsibilities.

– In addition, the language requirement is an IELTS overall score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or an equivalent English language result.

The programme includes:

– A 60-day paid placement.

– On completion, accreditation from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACEQA).

If you are interested in this new programme or have any questions, please get in touch with us.

Tight rental market in WA prompts calls to fast-track student accommodation

With Perth’s rental vacancy rate at a record low, university students in Western Australia are struggling to find housing. There are calls to fast-track the construction of purpose-built student accommodation to ease the problem.

At present,private developers hold 76,500 purpose-built student accommodation beds across Australia, but only 4,200 are available in Western Australia. Perth’s vacancy rate has fallen to 0.4%,intensifying competition in the rental market. Purpose-built student accommodation offers the advantages of stable rents and all-inclusive costs, making it a more affordable and more stable option for students.

There are calls for the state government to offer incentives for student-accommodation construction, such as land-tax concessions, to boost housing supply. Ensuring students are looked after will help secure that supply.Owing to rising demand, turnover of purpose-built student accommodation has dropped from 40% before the pandemic to between 5% and 8%.To address the housing problem, some construction projects have been delayed by several years, but there is hope they can be delivered as soon as possible.

This week features majors including Education, Agricultural Science, IT, Social Work and Accounting!

Past highlights

This year’s New Zealand migration policy — the perfect springboard to an Australian green card?

Subclass 189 sends down an invitation shower after six months — but “no surprises”?

2023