Strategy > Co-operative university
The Federation University Co-operative Model
The Federation University Australia Co-operative Model puts students at the heart of education and industry.
Federation Co-op gets students work and world ready, through direct connection to employers, paid placements, career preparation and workplace skill development, supported by a leader in student support, skills development and social equity.
Our industry stakeholders are excited about Federation Co-op as it addresses skill shortages by inviting them to collaborate on our courses, to identify the real skills that our students need to succeed in their chosen industry.
For our communities, Federation Co-op will drive the growth of our regional economies by developing talented local graduates who understand exactly what our regional businesses need.
Federation has the know-how to deliver Co-op through our award-winning relationships with industry, including our 25+ year partnership with IBM, and our extensive research into the co-op model’s success in the USA, Canada and Europe for generations of students.
Federation Co-op is different to your usual university degree.
- Work and world ready TAFE and University graduates. We prepare our students through mandatory career development units, so they are ready to enter the workforce during their co-operative placements, and transferable World Ready Skills, so they are workforce ready when they graduate, regardless of their background before joining Federation University or TAFE.
- Real experience in your chosen profession. Every Co-op student completes a minimum of 60 days' paid placement relevant to their course - contributing directly to course credits - either full time over one semester, part time over an extended period or in blocks embedded into your subjects. Co-op offers flexibility to suit our students’ commitments and course.
- Co-design, co-develop and co-delivered with industry. We work with employers, industry, students and alumni to co-design, co-develop and co-deliver a comprehensive set of structured, assessed Co-operative Experiential Learning activities. In our Masters by Research and PhD programs we engage students with real world research projects which are co-designed, co-supervised and in some cases co-funded by industry.
- Connecting via Co-op. We're exploring technology options to connect Co-op students, employers, industry partners and Federation staff to support cross communication and engagement.
- A Co-op placement model for TAFE students is under development for students who do not do an apprenticeship, traineeship or mandated placements as part of their course.
Federation is offering Co-op degrees in 2024 in Business, Engineering (Honours), Information Technology, Information Technology (Professional Practice) and Science.
Between now and the end of 2025 we will embed Co-op across our suite of Federation University and TAFE courses, with delivery commencing in 2026.
In Nursing, Education, Sports Science and Allied Health, there are extensive workplace placements and Co-operative Experiential Learning, but we will work with accrediting bodies to see how we can integrate Co-op paid placements into these courses in the future.
Interested in learning more about Federation Co-op
Interested in studying a Federation Co-op course or becoming an industry partner?
Extensive consultation with industry and employers in Western Victoria and South East Victoria is continuing with dedicated engagement leaders ready to work with our partners.
Reach out to us at co-op@federation.edu.au
Co-op at Federation TAFE
Federation TAFE is home to vocational education and training delivered by Federation University Australia, offering pre-employment, employment/trade, post-trade and entry to mid-level qualifications across major sectors.
Fed TAFE is renowned for:
- high-quality training by teachers with significant industry experience and expertise
- courses responsive to changing needs of industry
- helping our students to get ahead in post-secondary education
- Students that are in demand industry-wide
Fed TAFE has the know-how to deliver Co-op through its strong and positive connections with local industries and employers, and courses designed to align with the Victorian Skills Plan.
Federation TAFE Co-op already offers courses, such as Traineeships, Apprenticeships, and those courses with mandated work experience components, that align to the Co-op model. Over the next three years we will introduce co-operative experiential learning to all TAFE courses.
Building the foundation and connections for establishing Co-op at TAFE is already underway to ensure that our graduates are world and work ready.
Co-op at Federation’s Graduate Research School
In Higher Degrees by Research (Masters by Research and PhD programs) we engage students with real world research projects which are co-designed, co-supervised and in some cases co-funded by Industry (students are supported with a living allowance scholarship).
We also provide opportunities for HDR students to undertake internships during their PhD program so that they can apply their developing research skills in the workplace.
Federation University is first ranked in Victoria and fourth ranked nationally for the highest per cent of HDR candidates engaged with industry (2021 data from Department of Education [latest available data]) and 60 per cent of our HDR scholarship recipients are co-funded by industry (internal data).
Connecting Co-op – Excellence in Industry Collaboration
Industry and employers have shown support for Federation Co-op as a unique model providing paid and meaningful experiences to students on work placement.
Federation is ready to work with existing and new industry partners and employers to develop flexible co-operative learning opportunities to meet the varied needs of different sectors, businesses and students at every stage in their careers.
We know there is a strong appetite to be involved with course design, delivery and skill identification to ensure our courses meet real world needs, and aim to make it easy to welcome partners who wish to get involved in course co-design.
Contact us at co-op@federation.edu.au
Staff can find more information on SharePoint at:
https://federationuniversity.sharepoint.com/sites/FedUni/vco/coopproj/SitePages/Home.aspx
