The University of Canterbury Business School has signed an agreement with Energy Academy to develop a new model for the delivery of academic content.
Instigated by local electricity distribution company Orion, Energy Academy is working to transform the system of capability development in the energy sector, including the way industry and tertiary education work together to deliver learning.
UC Business School and Energy Academy are trialing delivery of micro-credentials that integrate coaching and mentoring from industry practitioners.
Energy Academy will work alongside industry to match students with industry set projects where industry professionals will be responsible for 50 per cent of the assessment of work.
The UC Business School has strong links to industry and is keen to support businesses with the development and delivery of short courses and micro-credentials to future-proof its workforce.
Paul Ballantine, Head of UC Business School said, "UC Business School is at the forefront of engaging with business to identify new ways of delivering academic and industry-relevant content as we embrace a future focus within education and learning."
"Partnering with Energy Academy to create innovative learning experiences for New Zealand's energy sector is an exciting step in growing our Executive Education footprint, taking some of our great talent and knowledge and applying it in a business context."
Energy Academy has consulted with the energy sector on the shared challenges they face in developing the capability required for the future. A common challenge identified is the role of work integrated learning at scale and managing seamless relationships between academia and industry.
Energy Academy Lead, Deanna Anderson, sees this experiment as an opportunity to formalise and recognise the role of industry in work integrated learning.
"The model we will be testing in this partnership will have coaching from industry at the core, to accelerate development of new talent whilst still relying on academic rigour and research."
I think that is crosses over to Orion's Purpose and contains perspectives that need wider discussion - and potentially sounds jingoistic - Wellington Electricity is owned by overseas interests. Not really appropriate for inclusion in a media release in any event.
