Where Education And Business (Need To) Meet

Universities are being encouraged to more actively engage with the business community to create a generation of entrepreneurial and self-supporting graduates.

Speaking at the StartupGrind event in Melbourne, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has described the lack of partnership between the business and education sectors as potentially harmful to Australia’s future. With graduate employability a hot topic, pushing for students to learn entrepreneurship skills is a step certainly worth pursuing.

Students should also have opportunities to use their skills in the business community, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — be it by taking on a job in a start-up venture or receiving help to set up their own business. Equally important is that universities communicate the benefits of studying in these fields to prospective students in order to increase interest in such ventures.