Making the decision to pursue further studies can be overwhelming. What course? Do I have enough time in the week with work and family commitments? Am I too rusty to learn? Will the benefits outweigh the costs?

I was a specialist practice manager for more than twenty years, but the multi-faceted demands of leadership led me to the realisation that my skillset needed a tune-up. I needed to future-proof myself and the practice, particularly in the areas of compliance, HR and finance. Today I am a proud graduate of UNE Partnerships, and I apply my new skills on a daily basis.

I lead a team of fifteen and we support nineteen specialists. I love the diversity of my workplace. It is multigenerational – shiny newbies in search of a profession, double-degree university students earning while they are learning, workers at the twilight stage of their career, and plenty in-between. Two have approached me eager to study. Joan and Kelsey.

Joan has been our practice manager for two decades and has been pivotal to the growth of the organisation. In her mid-fifties, Joan has put her husband and two sons through university, but it was time to do something for herself. Joan’s motivation to study was simply for the sense of personal achievement. A qualification that belongs to her. Kelsey, at twenty-three, has decided to carve a career in practice management and wants the credentials to get her there. Two very good reasons. As a group, we approached UNE Partnerships and Joan and Kelsey have commenced the brand new Diploma of Leadership in Healthcare Practice. I am a little bit jealous, this course is excellent, interactive, multi-modal and user-friendly.

We have a study session every Thursday night with Colleen Sullivan and Gary Smith in the background reminding Joan and Kelsey to read the questions, not to overthink things and enjoy the journey. They are working their way through the first module on emotional intelligence and are already viewing practice life through new eyes. Joan will tell you that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks, and Kelsey is starting her career as a life-long learner. I am proud of them both.

Sorry Colleen, but they don’t always read the question and definitely overthink everything, but Joan and Kelsey are learning how to learn, can tell you what the amygdala is, and the enjoyment is contagious! I am already looking forward to their graduation day and the confidence, knowledge and skill that accompanies academic endeavour.

Karen Campbell
Practice Manager
Brisbane Clinical Neuroscience Centre

UNE Partnerships and Sayres Australia have entered into a memorandum of understanding bringing together their respective industry and academia expertise in support of defence training.

Leveraging more than 60 years of collective defence training and tertiary learning experience, this new alliance will deliver modern, responsive and truly flexible training solutions in support of Australia’s Defence Forces.

Sayres Australia Chief Executive Officer Craig Powell said that with Defence embarking on constant evolution in warfare techniques and new technologies, it was important to ensure that Australia’s Defence Forces are empowered through quality training to unlock the full spectrum of operational capabilities that future systems offer.

At a memorandum of understanding signing, UNE Partnerships Chief Executive Officer Ben Gilmore, said Sayres’ and UNE Partnerships’ complementary capabilities and wealth of Defence training and tertiary learning experience will help the whole of defence better prepare its personnel for duty.

UNE Partnerships has provided high quality training for defence particularly in the leadership and management areas. This collaboration with Sayres aims to reimagine how, when, where, and why training is delivered and the technologies we can bring to Defence’s training requirements for optimal effectiveness, positioning Defence to remain ahead of changing technology solutions associated with the Government’s continuous shipbuilding strategy.”

Sayres and UNE Partnerships look forward to a long and rewarding journey, working hand-in-glove with Defence to ensure that Australia’s Defence Forces remains capable, competent and contemporary to fight and win in all spheres of warfare.

For more information:

• Sayres Australia
• UNE Partnerships

UNE Partnerships would like to congratulate the NSW Public Service for their recognition as the top graduate employer in the country!

After climbing the leader board for several years, the NSW Public Service has been taken the gold medal in the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021. Along with this prestigious achievement, the NSW Government has held their title as Australia’s most popular Government and Defence Graduate employer for the past four years in a row.

UNE Partnerships CEO, Benjamin Gilmore, is proud of the organisation’s collaborative relationship with the NSW Public Service Commission and contribution to the NSW Government Graduate Program, “We believe we have designed a world-class Diploma program which helps graduates to develop the practical skills and knowledge required by future leaders of the NSW Public Service.”

Sean O’Toole is the Academic Director for Government Programs at UNE Partnerships and has been at the heart of the Diploma of Government for the past five years. “We continue to improve the Diploma of Government every year, more closely aligning the program with the practical expectations of the NSW Public Sector. My team is looking forward to meeting our 2021 graduates in the coming months.”

UNE Partnerships has a specialized project team which consists of subject matter experts, learning designers and a client relationship and account team who work with the NSW PSC learning Committee.

• For more information about the Diploma of Government:
  https://www.unep.edu.au/course/diploma-of-government/
• For more information about the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021:
  https://top-graduate-employers-2021.afr.com/