Igniting student learning

Presentation skills and confidence building will form part of the annual Student-Industry Conference for business students in September.

Inspired by the Icelandic volcanic eruption earlier this year, the theme for the annual Student-Industry Conference is “The Volcano Erupts: Corporate Contingencies”.

The conference will put business students through their paces, as they present to an audience of industry, peers and academics on September 10 at Logan Campus.

“This will allow students to gain valuable feedback about their presentation skills from those in the industry, and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and confidence,” senior lecturer and professional development coordinator Dr Brett Freudenberg (pictured) said.

Students will also listen to range of industry presentations discussing the “Corporate Contingencies” theme, including presentations from QInvest and the Association of Financial Advisers Ltd, Dr Freudenberg said.

“Students will hear about how important it is for businesses and individuals to have contingency plans to deal with the multitude of events and potential disasters that can happen.

“Students can establish important industry networks at the Conference, as well as gaining the confidence to present well. It is this exposure to industry that can ignite students’ passion to learn more about their courses as they can see the connection between their studies and with their future careers,” Dr Freudenberg said.

The Student-Industry Conference is the latest instalment of Griffith University’s professional development program, designed by Griffith to prepare students for real work placements. The program supports the Bachelor of Commerce (Professional) — which provides a two-year paid internship while studying.

“The Griffith Business School, in collaboration with a range of accounting and financial planning organisations, have developed and implemented an innovative and unique degree that responds to the demands of students and industry to develop graduates that are ‘work ready’,” Dr Freudenberg said.

With majors in accounting and financial planning, the Bachelor of Commerce (Professional) degree is unique to the Logan campus. Students complete half their degree in the first year, followed by two years of part time study while simultaneously working a paid internship.

The quality of this degree has been recognised nationally at the Business/Higher Education Round Table (B-HERT) awards that highlight outstanding achievements in collaboration between business and tertiary education in the fields of research, development, education and training.

There is great industry support for this initiative, with Q Invest, the Association of Financial Advisers Ltd and Patersons joining the program as Gold sponsors. Silver sponsor is the Financial Planning Association of Australia, and Bronze sponsors include Alwyn Peffer & Company, AXA, CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Moore Stephens and WHK Horwath.

For more information on the degree contact: http://www.griffith.edu.au/business-commerce/professional-business-degrees or phone Jo McConnell on (07) 3382 1254.