It is no longer sufficient to be merely a university graduate with an internship or part-time work experience. Employers now seek well-rounded graduates who possess technical knowledge as well as robust professional skills. The innovative Momentum Professional Development and Mentoring Program (Momentum) at the ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE) was established in 2017 in partnership with industry collaborators, and based on global best practices, to address this demand for soft-skill development. This extracurricular program, comprising carefully developed workshops, mentorships, and networking events, aims to cultivate students' professional skills through mindful practice, awareness, and effective articulation. In Momentum, students complete five targeted workshops that are co-designed and co-delivered with industry partners, focusing on key employability skill pillars: communication, critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, and personal branding. These research-informed and industry-led workshops are designed sequentially, enabling students to build and consistently apply their learning in developing their professional identity. Each student is also carefully matched with an industry mentor for five one-on-one meetings to support their strengths-based reflective journeys and offer industry perspectives. This meaningful mentorship not only adds significant value to the students' professional development but also allows mentors to thrive together. Since its inception, with the support of more than 700 industry partners, Momentum has successfully equipped over 660 students to become well-rounded, job-ready graduates, building a strong foundation and momentum in their career journeys. Through the direct involvement of the university, industry, and students, Momentum stands as a unique and exemplary collaboration that bridges professional-skills gaps.
Finalist
Skills and Employability Enhancement of the Year Award
Build the Momentum for Student Professional Skill and Employability Enhancement
Finalist of the Skills and Employability Enhancement of the Year Award
ANU College of Business and Economics, The Australian National University - Australia
"Thrive Together: Build Momentum with Mentorship and Professional-skills Mastery"
Engage on social media
https://www.facebook.com/ANUBusinessEconomics(Official ANU College of Business and Economics Facebook account)
https://www.linkedin.com/school/australian-national-university/(Official Australian National University LinkedIn account)
https://www.linkedin.com/school/anu-college-of-business-and-economics/(Official ANU College of Business and Economics LinkedIn account)
http://instagram.com/anu_cbe(Official ANU College of Business and Economics Instagram account)
@ANU_CBE(Official ANU College of Business and Economics X account)
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anu-college-of-business-and-economics_anucbe-cbemomentum-activity-7223554864205717504-63r4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop(Example LinkedIn post on a mentor-mentee meet-up and speed networking event )
https://shorturl.at/T8Ro6 (Example LinkedIn post on a teamwork skill development workshop)
https://shorturl.at/q75kj (Example Linkedin post on program completion)
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Summary
Key People
Professor Ying-Yi Chih
Associate Dean (Students and Industry Experience)
College of Business and Economics ,
The Australian National University
Professor Vinh Lu
Director, Research School of Management
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Dr Dana Hanna
Associate Dean (Education)
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Tanya Ali
Senior Manager, Students and Experience
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Kimberley Duong
Manager, Careers and Student Employability
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Cayla Biti
Deputy Manager, Professional Development
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Caitlin Wood
Deputy Manager, Careers and Student Employability
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Kara Walkington
Student Employability Coordinator, Careers and Student Employability
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Hayley Calderwood
Student Employability Officer, Careers and Student Employability
College of Business and Economics,
The Australian National University
Images
Mentor-Mentee Meet-Up and Speed Networking
Critical Thinker in the Making
Hear from Industry Leaders
Building Your Personal Brand
Teamwork in Action
Thriving Mentor-Mentee Relationships
Fruitful Networking Events
Peer-to-Peer Reflection
Celebrate the Success
Ready to Tackle the Professional World
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
“Momentum has given me insight into what employers expect, and what they don’t, and contributed to changing my perspective on skill development for the workplace.” ‒ by a student.
“I was able to draw insights from the Momentum workshops. This was for myself, and to consider how I approach listening to my team members to support them in developing their leadership capabilities. It’s a rewarding experience to see others grow in their own confidence and self-belief.” – by a mentor.
Since 2017, Momentum has successfully guided more than 660 students, including over 65% international students, in their career preparation beyond classroom studies. Students have reported significant growth in understanding the latest industry trends and critical professional skills. They have also experienced a boost in confidence and gained a greater appreciation for the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability in career planning. These skills and empowerment have enabled many to transition into internships and part-time jobs during their studies and secure full-time employment upon graduation. These diverse graduates, proficient in both technical and professional skills, can make a far-reaching impact on the performance and inclusion of the industry workforce.
Momentum’s meaningful mentorships, through careful matching of students and industry mentors based on shared interests and career goals, also create a thriving environment for mentors. By contributing to the development of their mentees, over 630 industry mentors have gained personal and professional enrichment, including enhanced skills, fresh insights from younger generations, reflection on their career trajectories, expanded networks, and a sense of fulfilment.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
Momentum stands out for its unique structure, which combines industry perspectives with a strengths-based approach to professional-skills development, offering students a rare opportunity to build their professional identity through real-world insights. Its success depends on supporting mechanisms that ensure strong engagement from both students and industry partners.
Professional-skills development is challenging due to its intangible nature, making a structured developmental framework, and reflections using universal language, crucial. In recognising that ‘one size does not fit all,’ we integrate the ‘strengths-based’ CliftonStrengths assessment into Momentum. This research-informed assessment helps students identify their unique talents across 34 areas, deepening their understanding of core competencies and facilitating discussions with mentors and workshop facilitators. By guiding students to leverage their strengths, we enhance their professional skills, self-awareness and self-confidence.
To accommodate the diverse interests and capacities of industry partners, it is essential to provide flexible and mutually beneficial involvement opportunities. In Momentum, industry partners can engage as hosts, providing venues for workshops or events; as workshop facilitators sharing their expertise in specific areas; or as individual mentors. Supporting materials detailing role expectations are provided to industry partners.
Fostering meaningful mentorships can be challenging due to mismatched expectations and lack of structure. In Momentum, we address these challenges through a personalised mentor-mentee matching approach, and by providing comprehensive guidebooks that outline the process, expectations and discussion areas for both mentors and mentees. Students can also access an online learning platform for additional support and progress tracking. We further host networking events to strengthen mentor-mentee relationships.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?
Momentum goes beyond similar conventional programs by prioritising students’ lifelong learning and long-term career success. We are committed to continuously refining Momentum to stay current with evolving global industry needs and enhance student inclusion.
To strengthen industry connections, we piloted structured feedback sessions in 2023. Industry partners were invited to participate in surveys and focus groups to share their feedback, which is then integrated into Momentum and presented at subsequent networking events. We will continue these highly valued feedback mechanisms in the future. Additionally, we aim to expand our partnerships with global companies and international professional organisations to ensure the program’s global relevance.
Enhancing student inclusion in Momentum is also a priority. Until 2023, Momentum was offered each semester, requiring approximately six–nine hours per month over three months in extracurricular commitment from each student. This structure limits participation for some students due to their personal, study and work commitments. Additionally, Momentum’s combined professional-development and mentoring components lack flexibility for those wishing to focus on only one developmental area. With an intake cap of 60 students to ensure quality, demand often exceeds capacity.
To meet rising student demand and offer greater flexibility, we introduced two new variants in early 2024: one for intensive professional-skills development with five workshops delivered over three days, and another focused solely on mentoring. These variants allow students to choose their area of focus, accommodate those who cannot commit to the semester-based format, and increase Momentum’s capacity while maintaining high quality.
