Today, we will introduce you to the professional year and why you need to take it. Almost every individual who enters professional life faces a difficult initial phase. In this phase, the person finds himself unable to apply the concepts he had learned in university or college to the job he has been assigned to. He struggles to fit in an environment that is entirely novel to him. Sitting in a classroom and having discussions about how the world can be changed is way easier than actually going out and changing it.
Learning concepts from books and reproducing them in exams doesn’t sound very difficult, but applying the concepts and produce measurable results does. After all, “The actual test of the rubber starts when it hits the road”.
Although Australia, like the rest of the developed countries, is blessed to have academia that puts a lot of emphasis on the practical application of the studies than on theory alone, the need to have a proper understanding of the professional world before you step in, persists. The professional field is a whole different ball game.
So, keep reading to know what is professional year in Australia and who can apply for it.
What is a Professional Year?
Often called “Job Preparedness Year”, the Professional Year is a one-year career development program offered to international students who have graduated from an Australian university. This program is primarily offered to those students who wish to apply for Australian permanent residency. The program focuses on structured learning and skills enhancement to prepare the students for the professional world of Australia, it’s working culture and work environment.
The coursework continues for 32 weeks where the graduates are trained for workplace communication and technical skills. The coursework focuses on different skills that are essential to becoming successful professionals. The graduates are briefed about job interviews, job searching skills, formal presentations, the workplace environment of Australia, the technicalities related to workplace written and oral communication and the business culture of Australia.
After the coursework, the graduates are placed in a 12 weeks internship in their relevant fields. During the internship, the graduates get to practically apply the skills they have just learned during the coursework. They get to fully experience the professional world before formally joining it. The well thought out combination of the coursework and internship prepares the graduate for the real test, the test of becoming successful professionals.
Benefits of Professional year program
As mentioned earlier as well, this course is primarily designed for graduates who wish to get permanent Australian residency. The big deal here is that a graduate earns 5 valuable migration points after completing the professional year. It adds to the CV and eventually helps in getting a permanent job and residency. In addition to this, the Professional Year in Australia prepares you for the professional world beforehand so you don’t have to struggle, which sometimes turns out to be costly, so much to lose the job you’ve just gotten.
In addition to all the other benefits of skill enhancement and exposure to the Australian workplace environment and business sector, the professional year is a great opportunity for networking. During the coursework, you will have the opportunity to interact with fresh graduates of your field and during the internship, you get to interact with the professionals and employers of your field.
We all know that to excel in professional life, it is essential to have links with the people of your industry. These links keep you aware of the changing trends in your field, provide you with the opportunity to switch your job for better and most importantly to start your venture.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants of the Professional year program must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from an Australian university. They must have applied for or hold the subclass 485 temporary residence visa. Language proficiency requires an overall minimum IELTS score of 6.0.
Although it requires the applicants to graduate from an Australian university, engineering students who have graduated from a recognized institution outside of Australia are eligible for the professional year. They will have to apply for a Skilled Recognized Graduate Temporary visa before applying for the professional year.
Please note that professional Year is only offered to graduates of Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting and other disciplines closely related to these.
If you’ve any queries about the Professional Year, Australian Immigration, Visa or admission related issues or any other confusion related to the immigration, you can reach out to us at The Migration.
We have Registered agents in various cities of Australia to help and guide you.
- Registered Migration Agent in Parramatta
- Registered Migration Agent in Sydney
- Registered Migration Agent in Melbourne
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