Easing Transitions: Empowering Equity Students to Pursue their Career Dreams

Equity students face numerous challenges transitioning into university and back into communities post-graduation. These challenges include a lack of a sense of belonging and difficulty accessing information to determine career pathways. The research project Connected through Transition 2023 examined the experiences of transition in one Australian University through focus groups, yarning circles, and interviews. The data from these were analysed through content and thematic analysis. Despite the increased efforts universities put into supporting equity students, a common theme that emerged in our research findings was the experience that “I just had to figure it out myself”. This insight suggests that there is still important work to do in supporting students to settle into university life and when aiming to enter the workforce after graduation. Participants reported increasing concerns and uncertainty as they began to consider their postuniversity pathways. This often revolved around assessing what they want from their careers, how this might be connected to their communities, and strategizing about how to achieve these outcomes. Post graduation, however, participants reported a strong sense of pride and independence regarding their achievements. DAY 3 The lack of appropriate networks to facilitate pathways into desired careers and to decode the gatekeeping structures of professions emerged as an important theme in the analysis. This obfuscation of available pathways makes the desired workplace less accessible or inclusive of people from rural/regional, Indigenous, First-in-Family, or low socio-economic backgrounds. These equity students mentioned that they had no or limited connection to their intended profession such as law or public service because of their overall community or family position. Some alumni described a high level of anxiety, the feeling of being back at the bottom, and diminishing self-confidence when starting their first role after university. They had to adapt to a steep learning curve by either connecting the learnings from their studies to their practice or by filling the emerging gaps through other means. Our research suggests six opportunities for university support services and educational staff to increase accessibility and inclusion during the student life cycle and consequently, the potential level of employability and therefore work-readiness of students. These are career planning, mentoring, networking, work integrated learning via diverse industry engagement, people skills, and transferability of knowledge. It should be acknowledged that some of these opportunities might be unique to the University of Canberra, due to its geographic and demographic disposition, which is characterised by a higher level of federal government and public service employment compared to the average. Thus, more research but also further engagement with students via co-design are needed to develop personalised and holistic support services for equity students to achieve their career aspirations.