Where do you tune in? (How do you find out about local and global issues?)
(a) Switch to Mentimeter – Word Cloud: Enter your sources, one at a time
(b) White board groups – List options; note how many in group use each
Task: Think about where you get your news and information from; identify your sources
Follow teacher instructions for options (a) or (b)
What other sources might help to inform you?
(a) Mentimeter – Word Cloud: Enter your sources, one at a time
(b) White board groups – Add the new sources you identify
Look at the word cloud or white board list; consider other options; think about sources used by relatives, friends, or colleagues
Follow teacher instructions for options (a) or (b)
Reading: Swinburne University of Technology (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p. 4
Critical reading: check author and date details (2019)
Australian workers (Swinburne, 2019) – Key findings
Australians are (were) fearful of both: the threat digital technologies pose to their job, and the rate of change
More than half expect their job to change to some extent in the subsequent five years
Australians are (were) more concerned about job insecurity arising from digital technologies than about the economy
Australians are (were) not Luddites and do not fear the technology itself
They have a level-headed appreciation of the benefits of digital technologies
They signal a willingness to prepare now for the approaching future but may lack the confidence to do so
Source: Swinburne University of Technology (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p.13 (2019)
Note: Older detail can be useful if looked at critically for trends
Reading: Swinburne (2019) – Start thinking about change tracking
Start thinking about: How will you know what has changed since? How will you keep informed?
Source: Swinburne (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p.4
Understanding the Disruption Spectrum
The Power of Human Competencies: Skills like collaboration, empathy, creativity, and problem-solving remain valuable across the spectrum; these are difficult to automate and act as career safeguards
AI can analyse data, but it can’t inspire a team or build client trust in the same way a human can
Lifelong Learning Mindset: Expect to retrain and upskill multiple times in your career; be curious and proactive in learning about new tools, platforms, and ways of working; graduation is not the end of your education—it's the beginning of a career-long learning journey
Building Experience and a Portfolio: Use internships, projects, and volunteering to develop both technical and human skills
Resilience and Personal Brand: Career paths are less linear; expect changes and pivots; build a personal story around adaptability, problem-solving, and continuous growth
Keeping informed requires thinking about wider contexts
How Different Generations Engage with Digital Technology
Baby Boomers (1946–1964): Likely more fearful due to limited exposure; high concern over job insecurity near retirement; may appreciate digital benefits but could lack confidence in adapting
Generation X (1965–1980): Experienced both pre- and post-digital eras; mixed feelings; concern about job security but generally more adaptable; pace of change may be challenging
Millennials (1981–1996): Grew up with digital evolution; generally less fearful of technology itself; focus on leveraging tech for career growth; still wary of rapid changes; confident in tech benefits but may face workplace structure challenges
Generation Z (1997–2010): Digital natives; less fearful of technology but highly aware of its impact on job markets; strong adaptability; proactive on tech-driven opportunities
Generation Alpha (2010–2024): Too young for direct workforce involvement but will grow up fully immersed in digital tech; expected to be highly confident and innovative yet may face unforeseen challenges due to rapid advancements
Purpose: This analysis frames how each generation might perceive/respond to digital transformations in the workforce, based on historical context and familiarity with technology
Keeping informed requires thinking about wider contexts
Briones et al (2021) – Reading note
2021 Peer-reviewed articles are a good source (though publication may take time)
A Module 2 Reading
Employers’ Preference on Employability Skills of Business Management and Accounting Graduates (Briones et al, 2021)
Listed skills include: Formal Qualification (e.g., Accounting); Analytical Skills; Technology Skills; Communication Skills; Interpersonal Skills; Problem Solving Skills; Capacity for Innovation; Leadership; Organisational and Commercial Awareness; Management Skills
Year: 2021
TOP 3 employability skills? (Briones et al, 2021)
Prompt: Guess the TOP 3 employability skills that employers prefer?
LEAST 3 employability skills? (Briones et al, 2021)
Prompt: Guess the LEAST 3 employability skills that employers prefer? (still desired, just not as much)
Accounting Employers’ Preference on Employability Skills of Graduates (Briones et al, 2021)
Formal Accounting Qualification; Analytical Skills; Technology Skills; Communication Skills; Interpersonal Skills; Problem Solving Skills; Capacity for Innovation; Leadership; Organisational and Commercial Awareness; Management Skills
Year: 2021
What is Commercial Awareness? (with a link forward to Week 5, EY incursion)
CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046
Next Week: EY Incursion Preview
EY representatives will ask each class: What is Commercial Awareness? (Week 5 Overview page is open now for an intro video)
Early comments from the floor – What is Commercial Awareness?
Context: Discussion prompt during class; reference: RMIT University
How can being commercially aware help you to understand a particular industry?
Focus: Understanding industry threats and opportunities
Assessment 2: Industry
CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046
Assessment 2: Industry – Useful for industry analysis?
Key areas:
Risk Awareness (geopolitics, global disruptions, regulatory changes) extRiskfactors
Knowledge of Economic Factors (Inflation, CPI, interest rates) extEconomicfactors
Local & Global Perspectives (trade dynamics, incidences, cultural differences) extperspectives
Recognising Industry Competition (emerging strategies, market positioning) extcompetition
Awareness of Market Trends (Tech, consumer behaviour, industrial trends) extmarkettrends
Sensitivity to Customer Needs (changing expectations, preferences) extcustomerneeds
Other?
National databases for Assessment 2
Question: Which national databases might you use to help determine the industry for Assessment 2 and to find out more detail about the industry?
Action: Check credible online sources for industry listings; Canvas Week 4 in-class resources; click on one of the shared examples in Canvas
Commercial awareness for company analysis
How being commercially aware helps you understand a company/organisation, including what it might be like to work there
Assessment 2: Company
CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046
Assessment 2: Industry awareness useful for company analysis?
Key considerations:
Understanding business operations (how different departments work)
Reputational factors (cautionary stories in the news)
Working culture (industry magazine reports or company website)
Recognising Company Competition (emerging strategies, market positioning)
Awareness of Market Trends (Tech, consumer behaviour, industrial trends) extmarkettrends
Sensitivity to Customer Needs (changing expectations, preferences)
Other?
Rubric excerpt (C2 CR): A targeted internal examination incorporates several relevant factors of the company’s structure, culture, leadership, and at least one factor of the company’s mission, values, strategy, or strategic intent. Useful description of how potential changes may affect an opportunity for the company or may impact senior leaders.
Information sources for Assessment 2 – choosing a company
Guidance: Always use the main company source (typically their website)
Also use sources not authored by the company to gain a different perspective
Keeping an eye on… technology trends
Focus: what’s happening with technology and industry expert perspectives
CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046
Pace of development in Numbers
AI progress narrative:
Tells a simple but powerful story about AI: it’s getting much smarter, faster, and cheaper!
GPQA Diamond score (test of reasoning ability) ext{GPQA score}
Horizontal axis: cost to run a million tokens, i.e., 10^6 tokens
The blue line shows frontier of AI performance over the last 18 months
GPT-4 in mid-2023 scored under 0.4;early2025modelslikeGeminiscorearound0.75 (nearly PhD level)
Cost has collapsed by 99.7 ext{%}$$
Takeaway: Powerful AI tools that once cost a fortune are now available for cents; the biggest barrier is learning how to use them well; tools you’ll be using in two years might not exist yet
AI and GenAI tools for the trade
What is used in your discipline now will likely change after graduation
Disciplines represented: Accounting, Finance, Other disciplines, Info Systems / Data Science, Logistics / Supply Chain, Financial Planning, Marketing, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, Management
ATN Symposium – Generative AI: Graduate Skills and Employability
Date: 21 March 2025
Keynote: Michelle Perugini, UniSA 2025
ATN Symposium – Generative AI content
Keynote messages:
AI won't replace you, but someone who uses AI better might!
Understanding AI biases
Ethical AI decision-making
Knowing how to use AI tools
Evaluating AI-generated content critically
statistic: 75% of workers already use AI in their day-to-day
How industries are using GenAI – Examples
Marketing teams use AI for content creation (e.g., PowerPoint speaking notes)
Web developers use AI-assisted programming tools to create or fix code
Context: University of Enterprise South Australia Hub
Panellist insights
Jane Adams (Commonwealth Bank of Australia) – emphasis on leveraging AI in business contexts; upskilling needs
Justin Trudeau quote: “The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.” (Davos/Trudeau reference) – need to upskill; responsibility of workplace to upskill staff, and students to learn how to use AI
Panellist: Amina Crooks (Accenture)
Message: Businesspeople need AI skills, including in B2B contexts; everyone will need to use AI; importance of learning how to use it and augment ourselves with it
Complementary skills: problem solving, critical thinking; bridging technology to life; change management processes; have some experience with AI, trial things, expect some failures, and be prepared to talk about growth from this journey
Technical v. Behavioural Skills
Discussion frame: Some might say hard vs soft; discipline vs human/transferable/employability
Core idea: The position you apply for will require a range of both skill types
Behavioural skills examples: industry knowledge; emotional intelligence; flexibility; interpersonal skills; software development; foreign language; statistical analysis; design; critical thinking; computer operation; teamwork; business acumen; commercial awareness; problem solving; time management; active listening; cultural intelligence; leadership; communication; adaptability; negotiation; social media marketing; distribution management; financial reporting; bookkeeping; professional development of staff; business management
Note: Some argue the balance is situational: “Arguably in between (or ‘it depends’)”; more human/behavioural skills vs more technical skills
Choose a PD to look at from seek.com – Skill requirements
Example job ads spanning: Toyota Australia 2026 Graduate Program (Management, Supply Chain, HR, Business Finance, etc.), FMH Group, HR Administrator, Beleza School Uniforms, Junior Supply Chain Officer, Electrical Merchandising, Marketing roles
Job ad analysis – Report back
Activity: Analyze provided job ads to extract the technical vs behavioural/human skills employers expect
Purpose: Demonstrate usefulness of job ads as a source for understanding current employer needs and guiding your skill development for Assessment 2
Action: Nominate one group member to present to the class