Six cadets began induction sessions at the Optus campus last week as part of the inaugural Macquarie University Optus Engineering Cadetship program.

The first-year students from the Bachelor of Engineering degree were selected through a competitive application process and will now complete a combination of work experience and study through the program.

“This partnership enables us to deliver the latest cutting edge in both theory and practice,” said Professor Iain Collings, Head of Department, Engineering. “It’s great to be developing new units, and integrating project based learning into the industrial setting in new ways. We’re excited for the opportunities it offers our students.”

Arie Oldman is one of the new cadets starting the program.

“I’m very excited about the Optus program and this fantastic opportunity to gain a head-start in engineering,” Arie said. “I can say with confidence that when I graduate from Macquarie, I’ll have learned all the necessary skills to follow any career path I choose in the telecommunications industry.”

Margaret Hudson, Director Corporate Engagement, says the program is a great example of how the University engages with corporate partners to deliver mutual value.

“The cadetship program is a tremendous opportunity for our Engineering students, whilst also enabling Optus to train their potential employees of the future with the skills they will require in a rapidly changing work environment,” Margaret said.

The cadetship program is a key project within the overall Optus Macquarie Business Agreement, which was signed by the CEO of Optus and the Vice-Chancellor in December 2014.

“Working with Macquarie means we will be providing input into the curriculum for several of the telecommunications subjects, which gives Macquarie up-to-date industry knowledge from our organisation but in turn gives us ‘job-ready’ graduates coming into the market,” said Erika Schuetze, Cadet Program Lead at Optus. “It also gives us a perfect opportunity to get to know the Engineering students in in our local area, and nurtures this relationship, hopefully ensuring Optus becomes seen as an Employer of Choice for up and coming Engineering telecommunications major graduates.”