Marsden High School students had a special behind the scenes tour of Macquarie University Hospital this week, with a pre-exam learning skills boost through the Bridge to Employment (BTE) initiative.

Bridge to Employment was established by Johnson & Johnson in 1992 to inspire young people to stay in school, excel academically and elevate their career aspirations.

“Successful students skill up with a range of different study techniques because they know that there’s not one best way to study for exams,” says Lisa Scrimmager from the Learning and Teaching Centre.

“In the later years of school, it’s a great idea for students to start building up a collection of study strategies that work for them. The best study approaches are often those that encourage students to think critically about what they are learning.”

Janssen Australia, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson, has joined with 2realise, a charity supporting young people, to start the first Australian site of this international program.

In its role as an education partner, Macquarie University welcomed the students for a day on campus, starting with a session on tips and tricks for exam study.

After lunch, the students moved across campus to see different careers within Macquarie University Hospital, one of Australia’s most advanced private hospitals.

“Macquarie University Hospital are proud to partner in the Bridge to Employment program in Australia,” said Sharon Kuhn, Macquarie University Hospital Human Resources Director.

“In their tour of our facilities, the students were given a practical demonstration of the many and varied roles that work together to ensure a quality patient experience. We are very proud of the work the staff at the hospital do and were delighted to be able to show the students positions in health that they may wish to pursue in their future careers.”

2realise, which currently holds the federally funded School Community Business Partnership Broker program is also engaging with University’s broader PACE program.

The passion and commitment of the partners involved in BTE aims to ensure the sustainability of the partnership beyond the current three year funding period.

Find out more about Macquarie’s involvement in the BTE initiative.