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Strategic Plan 2023 – 2025

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which ACEN, its members and its stakeholders are based, and pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging. 

Strategic Objectives

The ACEN 2023-25 Strategic Plan indicates that ACEN will work to:

  1. Create networking and professional learning opportunities for relevant stakeholders to promote excellence in WIL.
  2. Foster collaborative industry and community partnerships in WIL to build scale and improve stakeholder experiences and outcomes.
  3. Advance quality WIL through research, scholarship, and practice.
  4. Consult and collaborate with stakeholders and policy makers to promote and advocate for WIL in Australia.
  5. Secure ACEN’s future. 

This Plan builds on previous Plans but is also in response to the rapidly changing tertiary education landscape that profoundly affects WIL and the way ACEN and its members conduct their business. New foci have been added on broadening the definition of WIL, strengthening advocacy with TEQSA, Universities Australia and other national peak stakeholders of WIL, and explicitly integrating risk management strategies to ensure ACEN’s ongoing positive impact and sustainability in these uncertain times. 

In addition to upholding ACEN’s mission, vision and values, each State Chapter and Committee will contribute to the following strategic objectives, and the below priorities within each objective.

Objective 1: Create networking and professional learning opportunities for relevant stakeholders to promote excellence in WIL. 
Priorities
Design and deliver a comprehensive and diverse range of professional learning opportunities. 
Foster networking and collaboration in the WIL community through formal events and facilitated conversations.
Engage with stakeholders in student employability to support collaboration and integration that will empower graduates for future work and career.

 

Objective 2: Foster collaborative industry and community partnerships in WIL to build scale and improve stakeholder experiences and outcomes. 
Priorities
Enhance industry and community awareness of WIL through resources, communication, and events. 
Sustain student scholarships that promote equitable access to WIL.
Facilitate purposeful student-practitioner-industry partnerships through guidance, events, mentoring, and resources.
Reward and recognise impactful industry and community partnerships through WIL to encourage engagement and sustained growth. 

 

Objective 3: Advance quality and innovative WIL through research, scholarship, and practice.
Priorities
In collaboration with partners, develop and evaluate strategies to increase access, equity, and inclusion in WIL.
Develop understandings of indigenous WIL through scholarship and collaboration with First Nations people.
Foster innovation in WIL through research, scholarship and practice. 
Recognise and celebrate good practice in WIL through events that inform and discuss future practice. 
Promote professional standards and strategies for mitigating risk within the WIL community through relevant resources.

 

Objective 4: Consult and collaborate with stakeholders and policy makers to promote and advocate for WIL in Australia.
Priorities
Promote the work and impact of ACEN nationally and internationally.
Consult and collaborate with stakeholders to influence and advocate for policy that ensures accessible and quality WIL. 
In consultation and collaboration with partners, establish, implement, and evaluate actions that deliver the objectives of the National WIL Strategy. 

 

Objective 5: Secure ACEN’s future. 
Priorities
Identifying and implementing new strategic approaches to promote and grow ACEN membership for financial sustainability.
Review, design and develop strategic alliances with organisations and bodies to strengthen ACEN’s financial sustainability.
Develop a financial action plan to support financial sustainability, which includes membership, sponsorship and project management and delivery.
Monitor and mitigate risk as part of core activities.