ATN Universities leads the charge on GenAI Skills and Graduate Employability
25 March 2025
ATN Universities was extremely pleased to host the 2025 National Symposium on GenAI Graduate Skills and Employability on Friday at the Activator studios in Melbourne, in front of a record registered audience of more than 800, in which we brought together member representatives, industry leaders, academics, and accrediting bodies to discuss and debate how Australian higher education can best adapt to ensure students are equipped to changing GenAI expectations they face post-graduation and to excel in work-life.
The symposium was hosted by our Executive Director, Frank Coletta, along with ATN universities alumni, Elena Scullen-Howe (Bachelor of Laws student, Curtin University) and Guillaume Leroux (Master of Health Service Management graduate, UniSA), as our facilitators for the day and it all began with an inspiring keynote address by Dr Michelle Perugini, Head of Commercialisation at the University of South Australia and CEO of UniSA Ventures. Dr Perugini shared her remarkable success story, highlighting her experience in founding two global AI technology companies and very much setting the tone for the day.
This was followed by a dynamic panel discussion featuring leading employers who shared their perspectives on GenAI adoption in the workplace. The panel explored expectations of graduate capabilities, the growing need for responsible and ethical AI use, and how businesses are adapting to this technological shift. Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at UniSA, led the panel, which included Troy Tobin, Research and Development Supervisor at Rising Sun Pictures; Odile Shepherd, People and Culture Director at Wotton + Kearney; Jane Adams, Executive General Manager HR (Partner Technology and Lead Group Learning and Skilling) at Commonwealth Bank Australia; and Amina Crooks PhD, Senior Manager, Customer Data and AI at Accenture.
A major focus of the event was the innovative programs already being implemented across ATN institutions, highlighting their commitment to equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Each ATN member university presented unique cases, featuring industry-engaged curricula and industry-informed pedagogy to actively build GenAI knowledge and skills. One presentation came from Alex Jenkins, Director of the Western Australia Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH), supported by Curtin University. Alex shared how the hub is helping industry and government understand how to implement AI effectively while nurturing these skills in students. He particularly highlighted the WA Health Hackathon initiative, which brings together students, graduates, and early-career professionals to apply AI to solve pressing issues in healthcare.
Following this was Dr Danni Hamilton, Senior Lecturer at Deakin University and lead of the FutureFocus GenAI program. Danni outlined the core objectives of the program, which aims to produce recommendations for AI-driven course-wide curriculum transformation. The program addresses the urgent need for new industry-academic partnerships focused on bidirectional knowledge exchange offers a $5000 grant and program support to disciplinary partnerships to have a conversation about the impacts of GenAI on their discipline.
Dr Huan Vo-Tran then delivered an engaging, AI-generated presentation, aligning with the symposium’s theme. He showcased a project created for the capstone course in RMIT’s Master of Business IT program, where students developed an AI chatbot with hands-on industry engagement. This initiative provided students with practical insights into contemporary business challenges and enterprise solutions, utilizing cutting-edge tools and technologies including GenAI.
Next, Bert Verhoeven, Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy, introduced the Human-Centric, AI-First (HCAIF) framework. This ethical, structured, and adaptive approach integrates GenAI into business education, helping to build students’ competencies while enabling educators to design learning experiences with GenAI. The framework has been implemented within the Newcastle Business School since early 2024.
Dr Kuan Liung Tan, Lecturer in Health Services Management at the University of South Australia, presented the UniSA Master of Health Services Management (HSM) Capstone Project. This initiative integrates GenAI tools like ChatGPT into real-world industry projects, allowing students to develop essential GenAI skills while recognizing its limitations, all in collaboration with industry partners.
Finally, Lead Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Head of Speech Pathology at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health, spoke about the clinical need for integrating GenAI tools into speech pathology students’ learning. She showcased an inspiring example of a client using GenAI to improve social engagement, as well as UTS students discussing how working with the client to use ChatGPT helped improve communication skills.
Click here to see our video showcase, featuring more detail and demonstration on the initiatives in GenAI undertaken by ATN’s universities.
The final section of the Symposium featured a panel of experts from accrediting and professional bodies who discussed how they are navigating the impact of GenAI on the workplace, what the future holds, and the implications for skills and capability-building ecosystems. Panelists included Prof Kylie Readman, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education and Students) at UTS; Adam Awty, CEO of the Law Institute of Victoria; Kelly Kajewski, General Manager of Strategic Learning Initiatives at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand; Rachel Griffiths, Manager of Strategic Policy at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency; and Jonathon Woolfrey, WA State President of the Australian Human Resources Industry.
Our symposium showcased the crucial role ATN universities are playing in preparing students for an AI-driven future. Through innovative programs and industry partnerships, our institutions established that they are equipping graduates with the skills needed to thrive in the evolving GenAI landscape. Discussions with industry leaders and accrediting bodies during the event further emphasised the importance of collaboration between education and industry to ensure graduates are ready for the challenges ahead.
Thank you to all involved in the program and production. The full event will be available online very shortly and be sure to stay up to date with ATN news and views through our website, through our Perspectives podcast, on LinkedIn and on Bluesky too.
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