Building employability skills in ICT Master coursework curriculum

Development and delivery of a subject called Employability Skills and ICT Workplace Practice, targeted at international students taking Masters of Engineering Studies is reported. Almost all of the students are international with a desire to stay and work in Australia. In practice however, seeking professional employment in Australia has proved quite challenging for many of these students. A study conducted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry identifies certain ‘soft skills’ in demand by employers. These include: initiative, communication, teamwork, technology, problem solving, self-management and planning. The learning objectives of the subject are designed to further develop and enhance such skills. The design and structure of the subject are described. The evaluations conducted on the first delivery of the subject strongly indicate that the learning objectives set for the subject are achieved and a high degree of student achievement and satisfaction is obtained.