In an Australian first, Torrens University Australia and Think Education are joining forces to give four individuals the opportunity to design their own career path and gain the edge in today’s competitive job market in a totally unique way.
Those wanting to work in the fields of Business, Design, Health and Hospitality are being invited to share their career aspirations and vision for their dream degree – with four lucky winners being awarded a ‘Greatest Degree On Earth’ up to the value of $80,000 each. Winners’ degrees may include tuition fees, international travel, internships, mentor sessions, job placement post-graduation and more.
Both Torrens University and Think Education are part of the global Laureate International Universities network which is committed to the delivery of 21st century education encompassing real world learning, practical work experience, mentorship and international opportunity to create job-ready graduates for a global marketplace.
The launch of the Greatest Degree on Earth today (Dec 9) follows the release of recent research which reveals only 29% of young Australians aged between 18 and 29 are sure of the career path they are going to take, and that while 65% want a career and ‘not just a job’, 67% are concerned about the prospects of securing a career-related job altogether.
Three times Olympic Gold Medallist, entrepreneur, education advocate and youth mentor, Stephanie Rice, has been appointed Ambassador for the Greatest Degree On Earth – an initiative she hopes will inspire people to dream big and think outside the box when it comes to further learning and gaining employment.
“My obvious passion and primary focus growing up was swimming, however it was the mentorship, international experiences and real world learning I gained outside the pool versus in it which equipped me with the skills I needed to transition from elite athlete to entrepreneur,” Rice said.
“That is what I love about the Greatest Degree On Earth. It is highlighting that further learning can be, and should be, about more than a graduating piece of paper. There is more than one pathway to success and employability – you just have to Be the Best You Can Be and go for it!”
The Greatest Degree on Earth is open to anyone keen to embark on a career in the fields of:
-Business: including finance, management, sports management, marketing, public relations, and commerce;
-Design: including graphic design, digital design, TV & video, animation, interior design, and fashion design;
-Health: including nutrition, mental health, health management, naturopathy and public health; and
-Hospitality: including hospitality, tourism, event management and commercial cookery.
Entrants could be:
-Someone daydreaming about doing design and travelling to Milan for Fashion Week before being mentored by a top fashion house on how best to launch their own clothing line;
-A budding entrepreneur hoping to boost their business skills and undertake a semester of study with Google’s Tech Team in Silicon Valley before establishing their own digital start up;
-A restaurateur hoping to hone their hospitably skills by training in a 3-star Michelin rated restaurant in New York before returning home to be tutored by a Master-chef about how to establish a sustainable food franchise; or
-A social entrepreneur keen to explore the power of public health innovation in India, Cambodia and Bangladesh before returning home empowered to start their own charitable Foundation.
“While it sounds like the stuff career dreams are made of, the opportunities being extended to the winners of the Greatest Degree On Earth are not that far removed from what is being delivered on a daily basis to students at institutions such as Torrens University Australia and Think Education’s colleges. If this is the future of education, it certainly makes further learning today a very exciting proposition,” Rice said.
Entries to the Greatest Degree on Earth are via written and video submission, with the competition closing on 25 January 2016. Winners will be announced in March 2016.
For more information on prizes, entry requirements and terms and conditions, visit greatestdegreeonearth.com