Pathways15: An Exploration of Success: GradWISE

Edward Osano and Rebecca Riley, GradWISE

GradWISE is a revolutionary service developed by WISE Employment and Swinburne University to assist tertiary students and graduates living with disability to gain meaningful and commensurate employment. It integrates WISEs professional employment pathways and expertise with university career/disability support services. Head of GradWISE Edward Osano and Swinburne University AccessAbility Careers Hub Coordinator, Rebecca Riley will demonstrate how this collaboration provides an integrated, strengths-based suite of career development and support services that has improved graduate outcomes since its inception in 2018.

Currently, 66% of graduates engaged by GradWISE via Swinburne’s AccessAbility Careers Hub are in paid employment and of those yet to graduate, 37% have secured internships. In 2019, student surveys showed that, after engagement with the Hub, 88% of students/graduates felt equipped to develop their employability skills compared to 43% at initial registration. Successful strategies of one-to-one career coaching and peer support, one-to-many engagement including student Community of Practice and forums, industry and employer linkages and education on inclusive recruitment practices, will be explored.

In response to Covid-19, GradWISE has implemented online learning and networking services to assist participant’s progress on their employment journey and address the pandemics impacts. These include GradWISE online masterclasses introducing industry experts, graduate application processes and interview techniques, GradWISE Live, a safe online space and community to build social safety for participants and Peer Support, connecting participants with former GradWISE members who are now employed. Since 2019, GradWISE participants have benefitted from the innovative Neurozone brain and body optimisation solution to assess and strengthen performance and resilience. With Covid-19 affecting health, wellbeing and employment prospects of many students/graduates, GradWISE Career Coaches use this collaborative tool to identify impacts and develop solutions linked to factors such as nutrition, sleep, mindfulness, social safety, and goal-directedness and learning to assist participants to thrive in every aspect of their lives.

Bios

Edward Osano, Head of GradWISE, has been involved in the development and design of the GradWISE Program. An accomplished and highly skilled people and project manager, with over 10 years’ experience in management. Edward is focused, committed and determined to deliver graduate outcomes for students living with a disability.

Rebecca Riley is the AccessAbility Careers Hub Coordinator and has been with Swinburne University since May 2020. She is a tertiary qualified career development professional with over a decade’s experience working predominantly in the community health and welfare sector.