Discovery Day at UOW: What I Learned (And Why It Matters for Our Students)

Written By Kate Poppett

On Monday I attended the University of Wollongong’s annual Careers Advisers Discovery Day … and while I was there solo this year (assessments meant we couldn’t bring students along), I spent the day thinking constantly about Caringbah students and what this means for you.

These university update days are more than just information sessions. They’re a chance to understand where higher education is heading, and where the workforce is moving.

Here’s what stood out.

AI Isn’t Going Away… But It’s Not the Villain Either

The day began with an address from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor G.Q. Max Lu, who spoke openly about AI.

The message was clear:

  • AI is not inherently unethical.

  • It can be an enabler.

  • But we must be clear about purpose, boundaries and risk.

What I loved most? Universities are asking the same questions we are in schools:
How do we use AI well?
How do we teach students to think critically with it … not rely blindly on it?

In Media and Communications, for example, UOW is embedding AI across units next year. Not to replace human creativity, but to explore ethical use, limitations, and the human element that must always remain.

This is exactly the kind of thinking we need.

The Fastest Growing Industries (Pay Attention to These)

Across the day, we heard about the strongest areas of growth in Australia:

  • Health & Medical (fastest growing sector)

  • Mental health

  • Allied health

  • Community health

  • Technology, Data & AI (It’s not just “tech jobs” - every industry now needs digital fluency.)

  • Data analysis across all industries

  • Cybersecurity

  • AI-enabled roles

  • Engineering & Infrastructure

  • Driven by transport, housing and energy investment.

  • Civil

  • Electrical

  • Environmental

  • Project management

  • Business, Strategy & Professional Services

  • Blending strategy, analysis and people skills.

  • Education & Training

  • Sustainability, Environment & Policy

….. Which leads me to my favourite session of the day…

“Can We End Poverty Without Destroying the Planet?”

I attended a Politics taster lecture exploring global development, carbon emissions, foreign aid and sustainability.

We looked at:

  • Indicators of development

  • Carbon emissions per capita

  • Wealth and over-consumption in high-income countries

  • Whether economic growth as we know it is sustainable

  • The link between climate change and global inequality

It was thought-provoking, uncomfortable, and deeply relevant.

If you care about climate change, justice, economics, sustainability or global systems, politics and policy are not “abstract degrees.” They are at the centre of some of the biggest decisions our world is facing.

I have already invited this academic to visit Caringbah to run a session with students. Watch this space.

A Big Structural Change: The 8 + 8 + 8 Degree Model

UOW is introducing a new undergraduate structure in many courses:

  • 8 Core subjecs (48cp)

  • 8 Major subjects (48cp)

  • 8 Flexible subjects (48cp)

This means students can:

  • Complete their core degree

  • Develop deep expertise in a major

  • AND use 8 flexible subjects to explore another discipline

Example:
Bachelor of Communication & Media

  • Major in Digital & Social Media

  • Flexible subjects in Public Health
    = Pathway into community health promotion.

Or:
Creative Arts

  • Music

  • Marketing
    = Indie recording artist with business capability.

This is about flexibility, employability and building degrees around passion + purpose.

It also creates clearer transition from school to university - consistent structure, transparent design.

Not all courses have transitioned yet (science is still evolving), but it’s a significant shift.

Careers Support at University Is Bigger Than You Think

One thing we often don’t see is how much structured career support exists at university.

UOW’s Careers Team offers:

  • Career chats (resume, interviews, direction)

  • Employer networking events

  • Alumni connections

  • Mock assessment opportunities (recruitment assessments)

  • Work-integrated learning embedded into degrees

  • Internships and extended placements ++++

Their employability outcomes are strong:
88%+ employed
88.5% employed within 4 months of graduating

And they emphasised something we talk about constantly:

Qualification + Skills + Experience X Contacts = Employability

Sound familiar? (LEAVERS Passport, anyone?)

Liverpool Campus & What’s Coming

UOW’s Liverpool campus is expanding significantly, particularly in health sciences.

On the horizon:

  • Pre-med pathway (likely 2027)

  • A proposed Master of Physiotherapy (target 2028)

  • Growing health science offerings

This is one to watch for students interested in health pathways closer to Sydney.

Key Programs for Students

Future Me Program

  • 90-minute Wednesday after-school sessions

  • Or online Thursday 4:30–6pm

  • Covers transition, finances, university life

  • Applications close 22 February

Coming soon:

  • Information Evenings

  • Early Admission Workshops

Final Thoughts

The biggest takeaway?

Universities are:

  • Listening to student feedback.

  • Building flexibility into degrees.

  • Embedding career readiness from Year 1.

  • Integrating AI thoughtfully.

  • Responding to global challenges.

And our job in school is not to predict the future perfectly.

It’s to build adaptable, curious, ethical, skilled young people who can step into it.

More university updates coming this week … UNSW next.

Kate

Kate Poppett
Next

The Year 12 & HSC Rodeo