20 May 2015
Adults seeking to boost their professional skills, climb the career ladder, or even completely change career direction, are expected to make up the majority of candidates who are applying now, to study at the University of South Australia in July.
The rising tide of adult students will be among those including TAFE graduates, school leavers, gap year students and those transferring from other tertiary institutions, all due to take advantage of UniSA’s midyear entry cycle.
Manager of UniSA Career Services, Catherine Klimeš, revealed that a UniSA Alumni webinar on the subject of career change prompted a strong response from almost 100 participants earlier this year and indicated why those starting University midyear are increasingly coming from the work place.
“New technologies, new industries and an evolving workplace culture offering greater time flexibility are increasing opportunities for adults to start study or return to University,” Mrs Klimeš says.
“Changes in the employment sector or changes to particular job roles often require enhanced professional development, or upskilling. Career development often means working towards a more senior role and the prerequisite to achieving that goal may require a return to study to achieve relevant professional qualifications”.
“The days of being in the same role in the same company for life are increasingly rare, especially in an age when people are expected to, or want to, change careers several times over the course of their lives.
“Changes in peoples’ circumstances whether it be through retrenchment and job loss, triggering a re-think in employment, or the ability to take advantage of flexible working conditions to return to Higher Education and study something new or of fresh interest can also account for the growth in adult entry.”
UniSA’s Midyear Entry website contains comprehensive information on the midyear application procedure and also highlights the profiles of several UniSA graduates who have benefitted from a return to higher education, including Damien Heffernan, who spent a decade working as an aircraft maintenance engineer, before returning to UniSA to study architecture.
Luke Lopian, who started Foundation Studies as part of a previous midYear intake to UniSA and who is now studying Physiotherapy at UniSA, explained another advantage of starting University in July.
“It takes a lot of energy and courage to determine if you want to go to university, especially if you are someone who hasn’t studied for quite some time. Having the option to start midyear gave me an opportunity to pursue that straight away, ” says Lopian.
“I feel that having to wait until the end of the year could have dissuaded me, giving me more time to rethink and perhaps change my mind. That being said, going to university is something you should do when you are ready, and not rush into.”
Applications for midyear entry close on June 9 with orientation and classes commencing from July 20.
Media contact: Will Venn office (08) 8302 0096 email will.venn@unisa.edu.au
