Uni marks 30 years of IT industry-based learning

LA TROBE University Bendigo’s Department of Computer Science and IT is celebrating thirty years of industry-based learning (IBL) and its impact on student, industry and innovation across regional Victoria.

Launched in the mid-90s, the IBL program has become a flagship model for real-world experience, giving students the opportunity to work on live projects with local professional organisations so they can graduate ready to go straight into a role.

Bendigo Bank has been one of the longest-standing partners (47 employees have completed the program), with local underground electric vehicle manufacturer Bortana also recently becoming involved.

La Trobe Bendigo’s deputy head of Computer Science and IT Professor Simon Egerton said it’s a key reason students come to study in his department.

“It really helps mature (them) into job-ready graduates,” he said.

“We’re able to take their raw skills and place them in local industry where they’re needed and over the 30 years we’ve had over 250 students go through and many of those have been retained in local industry.

“It’s a testament to the skills that we teach at La Trobe and to the needs of local industry and how we’re able to supply those needs into a program like this.”

Meanwhile, Bendigo Bank chief technology officer Kieran O’Meara said enabling students to apply the knowledge earned in their undergraduate degrees and build industry-relevant skills is invaluable.

“Through this program, Bendigo Bank and La Trobe have played a significant role in developing a strong pipeline of technology talent in our industry and in Victoria’s regions,” he said.