I think the student work placement program has shown itself to be an effective delivery method for work-integrated learning and connecting students to employers.
Now it can go into a next stage of evolution where, as Dr. Walker was saying, there are things like microcredentialing and other ways of identifying the practical skills competencies that students require. There could be more criteria attributed to work-integrated learning programs and student work placement programs to encourage SMEs to adopt innovative training around artificial intelligence and other means that are going to be absolutely critical to, as Dr. Walker said, 80% of the needs that are common.
Artificial intelligence is industry agnostic. Every single industry is going to have to adopt it in the future. The student work placement program could be an exceptionally successful delivery mechanism—and it already is—for some government priorities around training, microcredentialing, skills delivery and practical skills that sometimes evade post-secondary institutions. As we all know, our country is second to none in the delivery of academic training, but sometimes practical business training is more challenging. A program that already has work-integrated learning is a perfect delivery mechanism for those skills and priorities that the government needs to inculcate in our young people.