Mrs Jodie McDonald2, Miss Laurice Lima3, Miss Zhahara Yusop1
1StudyAdelaide, Adelaide, Australia, 2StudyAdelaide, Adelaide, Australia, 3StudyAdelaide, Adelaide, Australia
Learn how StudyAdelaide collaborates with businesses and institutions to help hundreds of new international students better understand and successfully enter the Australian job market through its innovative Job Shop platform and adjacent programs.
The first challenge international students face is entering the Australian job market. The opening of borders post-pandemic presented StudyAdelaide with an amazing solution to this challenge. With thousands of students returning to Adelaide and local businesses experiencing workforce shortages, StudyAdelaide saw an opportunity and created Job Shop, a unique online platform connecting international students to reputable organisations with casual and part-time positions. Students can apply even before leaving their countries. What makes this possible and distinguishes Job Shop from other job platforms, is that StudyAdelaide meets with every organisation to ensure international students are considered for roles despite not fully meeting criteria and application standards expected in Australian recruitment processes.
Originally proposed as a temporary solution, Job Shop continues to be enhanced, and is one of StudyAdelaide’s most successful initiatives. With up to 30 participating businesses, Job Shop offers opportunities in diverse industries with entry-level roles for students with little or no experience. Since 37% of international students volunteer, volunteering opportunities have recently been added to the page.
Working with its member institutions, StudyAdelaide promotes the platform at pre-departure and orientation events. Job Shop workshops help incoming students navigate the job market and understand the unique requirements of the Australian business culture like resume and cover letter conventions, wages, and the differences between casual and ongoing employment.
Biography:
Zhahara Yusop is StudyAdelaide’s Employment Projects Coordinator. She joined the agency’s Engagement and Partnerships team in early 2024 with a background in delivering successful employment outcomes for Workforce Australia. She is passionate about helping international students find employment pathways and build rewarding careers in South Australia. Through industry career and networking events, and programs like StudyAdelaide’s Job Shop and career placement support programs she is making a difference to the work lives of international students – and their employers – helping to sustain meaningful employment.