Career Ready Industry Experiences

Get industry experience, develop your employability skills and grow your professional network

Career Ready Industry Experiences are two and three-week programs offered to La Trobe University students in partnership with Practera, in 2024.

Other opportunities to incorporate practical industry experience in your degree can be found on the practical experience page.

How Career Ready Industry Experiences work

Career Ready Industry Experience programs allow teams of students to work collaboratively to solve a real-world industry client challenge within a given timeframe. There are several industry experience programs you can choose to participate in.

The project you embark on may be for a:

  • Start-up
  • Small to medium enterprise
  • Not-for-profit organisation

You will receive a project brief from your client and present your research and insights at the end of the program. Depending on the program, you will receive client and professional mentor feedback along the way and will be supported with learning content via the online platform.

Projects focus on:

  • International Business
  • STEM
  • Digital Marketing / Business Growth / Sustainability

It doesn’t matter what degree you’re studying because this is an opportunity for you to think outside the box!

The program aims to provide you with an opportunity to:

  • Develop 21st century employability skills
  • Get real business experience
  • Expand your social & professional connections
Who can participate in the industry experience programs?

Career Ready Industry Experience programs are open to all La Trobe University students regardless of your degree or level of study (undergraduate/postgraduate).

How is this program different?
  • Team-based - Work as part of a diverse and multidisciplinary team.
  • Real world learning - Work for a real client, and get exposure to Australian workplace culture virtually.
  • Real outcomes - Provide recommendations to solve a real business challenge for your client and present these back to them in a final report and presentation format.
  • Not an assignment - You will be learning by doing. This is a self-directed, extracurricular program.

Student requirements

To gain official certification, and get the most out of your learning experience, you must:

  • Commit to attending the information and orientation sessions
  • Attend and actively contribute to team, client and mentor meetings
  • Complete all project deliverables with your team, which include: a project plan, a draft report, a final report and a presentation

Find out more

Information regarding upcoming sessions will be published to the Career Hub events page. As sessions become available, these are visible via the registration link below.

Register now

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a certificate?

You will receive a certificate upon completion of the project, as long as you have met all program requirements (time commitment and active participation).

Do I have to be in Australia to participate?

No. This program is suitable for remote working conditions with fully virtual industry and team engagement, so you aren’t required to be physically in the country to participate.

What if I have a part-time Job?

It is fine if you have a part-time job, but you must be able to commit a minimum of 50 hours of work on the project over the two or three weeks of the program. You will need to coordinate with your team to ensure that you’re able to attend meetings and contribute equally to all deliverables.

Do I get to choose the project I work on?

No, projects will be assigned to teams. We ensure clients submit projects that are interesting and achievable within the program timeframe.

Do I get to choose my team?

No, all teams will be assigned randomly to allow for diversity to occur.

It could be, but if it isn’t, that’s fine too. The projects are structured in a way where you do not need specific technical knowledge. The main goal is to develop your employability skills through a professional project experience.

What type of projects can I expect?

The majority of projects will be non-technical. They could include market research, doing a competitor analysis or creating a social media strategy. Clients could be from non-profits, start-ups, SMEs or large corporations.

Will I be paid to work on this Project?

No, you will not be paid to work on this project. This is first and foremost a learning experience.

Can I skip the orientation session?

The orientation session is compulsory. It is where you will meet your team, mentor and client. Students who do not attend will be removed from the program.

What does the application process involve?

You will be required to complete an online application form, as well as complete short-answer questions around your motivations and skills.