A University-Community Engagement and Leadership Model

Abstract

Higher education institutions are increasingly asked to be more responsive to the needs of community and to ensure that graduates are truly work ready (Patrick et al., 2008; Samuels, 2012; Universities Australia, 2008). The Universities Australia position paper, A national internship scheme: enhancing skills and work-readiness of Australian university graduates (Universities Australia, 2008), called for collaborative action between universities, governments, industry, and community organizations to enhance the employability skills of graduates. Engagement through partnerships with the community has been shown to generate new knowledge and enhance the teaching and learning process (Bernardo et al., 2013). Such partnerships, if of sufficient quality, ensure that students have the opportunity to engage in authentic practice-based learning experiences where they can develop the capabilities to be ‘work ready’ (Barraket et al., 2009; Choy & Delahaye, 2009; Flemming, 2012; Orrell, 2011; Peach et al., 2012; Ure et al., 2009).